Mistakes of the Past
by Sayle
Summary: Thrown into the past by a dying Avatar Spirit, Zuko is suddenly faced with the chance to do things the right way. Determined to end the war without killing Aang, he has a difficult path ahead, but must also fight his own demons. ON HAITUS.
1. Prologue: Failure

**I'm not entirely sure how I originally thought this would be a oneshot, but I did. Since it proved so popular I couldn't resist keeping it going, and it really is blooming wonderfully. Although why precisely anybody keeps reading after this chapter is beyond me, since in my opinion it is by far the worse in the entire story so far, which is why I have demoted it to 'prologue status'. Anyway, enjoy the rest of it, if you can struggle through this awful-ness!**

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Aang was too slow. Zuko was too slow. Everybody was too slow. The wall of rock that Toph threw up shattered like it was made of glass. The shards of ice Katara threw at the Fire Lord didn't make it in time. Zuko nearly managed to make it between the lightning bolt and Aang, but it only arced over his shoulder, searing flesh and moving onwards towards the young Avatar. There was a scream from Katara as Aang tried to shift into the position Zuko had showed him, to try and redirect the lightning just as Zuko had done not so long ago...but it was too late. In the last moment Aang's eyes and tattoos began to glow with a radiance of a thousand suns as the memories and skills of a thousand past Avatars coursed through him to try and stop the inevitable. Everybody was too slow. Only Ozai timed it perfectly.

The lightning bolt didn't strike Aang's outstretched fingers but hit him full in the chest, the burning, greenish light closing about him like the legs of a spider about to feast on it's prey, the crackling smell of ozone and burning flesh filling the air as the Airbender's limp body was picked up like a rag doll and thrown against the wall as the seemingly neverending stream of lightning ceased, the Avatar hitting the immaculately tiled floor of the palace throne room with a very final thump. Zuko heard Katara scream again, but it seemed to fade to a mere whisper as he stared at the prone body of the Airbender, tattoos flickering like a flame trying to hold onto life, just before it goes out. Zuko reached down, then started back as Aang began to turn his head.

He looked so forlorn, and so sad, despite the horrific pain he must have felt. Or maybe he didn't feel anything at all, now. The glow of the Avatar State had dimmed to the merest whisper of a light, the Avatar Spirit in its final throes, the life leaking out of it as surely as it did out of the Airbender. Zuko felt his heart wrench. Beneath the glow he could see the slate gray eyes fill with tears, and one of the hands tremble and twitch softly, as if Aang was trying to reach out and failing as his body slackened and hadn't the strength to obey. In the corner of his vision, Zuko saw one of Toph's airborne rocks explode as the battle continued to rage around the Fire Prince and the Avatar, but they were like an oasis of calm in the middle of a warzone. Zuko reached out and gently wedged and wriggled his fingers under the Airbender's hand, grasping it in a firm but reassuring grip.

It was over, now. It was because of his stupid mistakes that this had happened. Maybe if he had joined them at Ba Sing Se instead of fighting them, Aang would have had longer to learn Firebending. He would have learnt enough to successfully redirect the lightning. They would still have had the Spirit Water to bring him back from the brink of death, and even beyond. It was all his fault. It was at that moment that Zuko realised the rumbling beneath his feet had stopped, and footsteps approached at a run. As Katara threw herself to her knees beside him and water began to flow over the burnt chest, Zuko had to fight to stop tears welling up in a rare display of utter loss. He knew his father had to be dead now, and became dimly aware of Toph standing to his other side like a silent sentinel, face scrunched up and snuffling.

Zuko felt the tears well up anyway. Aang was in so many ways a better person than anybody had any right to have as a friend. He kept his childlike trust and happiness despite everything they had been through. Even though it had faded the closer the group came to the inevitable confrontation with the Fire Lord, it was always there under the surface. As Katara stopped her healing, realising there was nothing to be done, Aang smiled weakly, as if reassuring her. The Avatar State still clung to him, but it seemed more like a shroud now, a spiritual mist that would fade away with the Last Airbender. The Last Avatar. Katara was begging him to let it go, and Aang's reply was soft, carried out on a soft exhalation. "I can't."

Katara hung her head and cried. Toph was yelling at him, telling him not to give up. Sokka had come up behind them at some point, black sword still unsheathed like a naked threat. But it seemed impotent now, like a shade of danger. It didn't wasn't important anymore. Aang seemed to have used the last of his strength, and was just staring at Zuko, who smiled bitterly as if acknowledging his fault, that he was the reason for all this. He knew that Aang would have told him otherwise, gently reminded him that it was Ozai who did this. But Aang didn't have the strength, and whispered something with the echo of a thousand voices, on the edge of hearing. Zuko instinctively leaned in, as if the dying Avatar would repeat himself, even as he filtered through his memory to hear it again, focus on it. It came to him as he entirely focused on it, the muted gasp of Katara as the Avatar State began to glow brighter than it ever had before going unnoticed. Because what the Avatar had said only seemed to punish him.

In a flare of blinding light, Zuko found himself falling. It wasn't like a fall without end, like what he imagined death might be like, before one entered the Spirit World. Because he always thought that would be without sensation, but this was more immediate, as if gravity had just reached up and yanked him downwards for defying it. His foot made contact with invisible ground and slid out from under him, sending his side into bruising contact with it as colour bled into the world, giving definition to hazy and indistinct darkness. Zuko finished his roll after a few tumbles, his face and cheek pressed into what felt like icy-cold metal. Groaning at the nauseating sensations suffusing his body, Zuko tried to rise and immediately collapsed as his head punished him for it. It was as though his entire skull had been shaken independently of his body, with everything inside and around it smacked a few times for good measure.

Was this the punishment of a vengeful Avatar Spirit, striking out at him for his mistakes and helping cause its death? There was a hand on his shoulder, soft but firm. It had to be Sokka. Katara would never have left Aang in this situation, or any situation. Zuko felt like he should feel bitter about that as well, but he couldn't summon up the energy for it. Then the voice filtered through the slowly receding darkness. It was too old, too deep to be Sokka's, the resonating quality to it bringing instinctive feelings of comfort. Uncle? Zuko shuddered and slowly turned onto his back, letting out a deep breath as the sky slowly swam into focus above him, a brilliantly clean and clear light blue. In the corner there was what seemed like a great mountain of white, too big to be any cloud. It slowly swam into focus along with the sky and Uncle's face. It was much closer than a cloud...ice? _Ice?_

Sitting up abruptly, Zuko almost yowled in frustration as the swimming sensations poured back with a vengeance, hands pressing to his temples. Uncle kept droning on, and Zuko began to realise with something of a sinking feeling where he was. "You cannot learn more advanced forms until you master the basics, Prince Zuko. Your frustrations are understandable, but you must keep trying. For now, a break." Zuko knew this. He had just tried one of the basic forms perfectly, but Uncle insisted that he wasn't doing it right, and firebending came from the breath, not the muscles. Was this an afterlife, forcing him to relive his failures even more spectacularly? At least the first time he hadn't slipped and taken a tumble.

Taking Iroh's hand and struggling up, Zuko looked about as the world finally solidified and sharpened into what it should be. This was his ship, his home during the banishment. His crew taken from him by Zhao at the North Pole, then destroyed by pirates on Zhao's orders. He had been lucky to escape that alive. Would be lucky? This didn't make sense...he wasn't too far away from meeting Aang for the first time. What followed...what would follow was a chase lasting months, exile, existence as a refugee, redeemed by his betrayal under Ba Sing Se, Uncle imprisoned for treason...and then joining the Avatar, throwing away all he had worked for. Why here? Why now? And what in Agni's name was _going on?_

Zuko reached up and ran his hand through his hair...or where his hair should be. He only found his ponytail and a worrying amount of bare skin. He was exactly as he had been...he heard Uncle walking back inside. The cold had evidently proved too much for him while he waited for his nephew to thank him or move back to training. Zuko couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, which he realised was new. At this point he didn't feel guilty about such things. He didn't even notice them, because he was too...obsessed. Obsessed with training and the finding the Avatar. How Uncle put up with him he had no idea. Turning and staring across the prow of the ship, he looked towards the horizon where a small Water Tribe village would soon appear. What was he supposed to do in this afterlife? Relive all his suffering, just to lose it all at the end and have it repeat itself?

Driving a spurt of flame out of his nose in a rather physical expression of his frustration, Zuko placed his hands on the cold metal of the handrail of the prow, staring downwards as it cut through the churning water. Maybe what Aang had said wasn't a condemnation, or a reminder of what he had done, but...some sort of second chance? If he was somehow in the past, he couldn't even begin to wonder about the mechanics of what the Avatar Spirit had done. He wasn't physically any different...had his memories just been catapulted back through events, to try it differently? It brought a faint smile to his face as he was suddenly reminded of Aang's praise when Zuko opened the door to the sanctum of the Sun Warriors. _"I don't care what they say, Zuko. You're pretty smart."_

Aang...Zuko's hands tightened into fists for a moment, the skin going white under the pressure. There was a mistake that he didn't intend to repeat again. The young Avatar was somebody he was honoured to have as a friend, and a student. To let him die again would be like confirming his own failure. Afterlife, dream, or reality, it wouldn't happen, not this time. It was an odd sort of hope, that things wouldn't turn out so badly. In the end the War was finished, but Aang was dead. In history, looking back, people would have said that his sacrifice was a necessary and honourable one. That the Avatar had done his duty to the world, though it cost him his life. Turning to go back inside, Zuko mentally repeated the four words Aang and a thousand Avatars had whispered to him in their last moments. _Mistakes of the past._ The War will end, Zuko told himself. But not with the death of a child.

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**To be honest, I'm not really sure whether this is going to be a oneshot/twoshot or not. I just don't know whether I should just leave it for people's imagination to fill in or to actually continue this. I guess your reviews will have to tell me. If it does develop into a story it will focus on important segments of the journey like the first meetings, the Southern Air Temple, Roku's temple, the Siege of the North, then meeting Toph, Ba Sing Se, the Day of Black Sun and the final battle(AU), to name a few. But it won't be a constant commentary, but more jumps forward to important events.**

**So if you want to see any of that, review and say so! If you don't, review and say so. If you have nothing important to say, review and say so! We authors need reviews, or all the colour bleaches from our skin and we become dependent on human blood. It's true. Vampires are deprived authors. Do you want another vampire on the streets? I thought not.**


	2. Preparations

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I didn't expect to get such an enthusiastic response, or such long and well written reviews! To surprising and apparently popular demand, here is chapter two! I know the thick paragraphs can look a bit intimidating, but since there isn't much dialogue yet I can't really break it up. Obviously Avatar doesn't belong to me, but I'll try to do it justice.**

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Zuko raised his head and stared out over the prow as the village appeared and grew ever closer, growing in size, but still remaining small enough to seem insignificant. Soon that all too familiar flare would scream up into the night sky from the wrecked Fire Navy ship, signaling the presence of the Avatar. Zuko mentally caught himself there. That was another thing. He was thinking of Aang as the Avatar, not…well…Aang. At first it hadn't concerned him, but when he thought of yesterday two days leapt the front of his mind instantly. One had him sitting round a campfire planning the assault on the palace district with Sokka and Aang, the other a day of brutal training on the deck of his ship. Both were equally fresh, equally real…equally confusing. It gave him a headache.

Maybe with some meditation all these memories would sort themselves out. It was as if there was a dividing line between his old self and his…older self. One was obsessed with finding the Avatar, the other with helping him restore balance. Then there was his new self. He was still dedicated to helping Aang, but it seemed all too easy to conjure up old prejudices that he had dealt with during his time in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. He was uncomfortably reminded of the time in Ba Sing Se that he had been undergoing his ultimately unsuccessful…what was the word Uncle had used?...metamorphosis.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Iroh padded up behind him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Nephew…your armour." Zuko turned his head back towards his uncle for a second. Of course…he had worn his armour, the imposing black and red plates protecting him from…something. Shards of ice from a Waterbender, maybe, or the crushing boulders of an Earthbender…a spear or sword. But Sokka only really carried a club, and even the first time he was dispatched without any difficulty. Armour wouldn't stop Katara or Toph ripping him apart on the spot if they wanted, but Katara was still just learning Waterbending and Toph…Toph wasn't here.

"I don't think armour will help against the Avatar, Uncle. A few inches of bulky metal will not stop the master of the elements." There was an agreeing if somewhat suspicious and surprised sounding combination of a hum and a sigh from Iroh, and Zuko bristled. He could practically _sense_ his uncle tugging at the little white tuft of a beard. Uncle had the tact not to ask the unspoken question, though: _and you think you can?_

Zuko did, actually. Aang surrendered the first time, so was sure that the more naïve and trusting boy would give him enough time. He wasn't the master of the elements yet, and he almost no experience in fighting anyone, let alone a Firebender. Zuko couldn't help but smile a little at the memory of the Airbender twirling his staff around to defend himself against the fire blasts. The Aang he knew just before the invasion would have had him on the ground in less than a minute, even with nothing but Airbending.

Then again, Zuko had improved his skills beyond what he had ever thought he had the chance to become, thanks to the constant fighting with Aang and Katara, Azula, and then the philosophy of the Sun Warriors. At the end he had even conjured lightning, rather than throwing it back constantly. It had been one of the most euphoric moments of his life…looking down surreptitiously at his fingers, Zuko felt that emotion again…and moved his fingers. There was a moment of resistance and a knot of frustration in his chest, but that frustration was rapidly smoothed over, and a little spark leapt from his index and forefinger to the metal railing. He smiled victoriously. He could still do what he could do before…or…soon? Still, he wasn't sure he wanted to try lightning again until he sorted out these personality issues. Again.

Iroh had since departed, so Zuko risked a few fireblasts over the prow. They roared forward in abrupt waves and spheres of rotating flame in a way he had never previously achieved during his exile. The fire welcomed him, bathed him in warmth. He had always viewed his fire as a weapon rather than something in itself, but the Sun Warriors had changed that. The chief had said that fire was life, and the dragons had shown him that it was beautiful. It ran contrary to the teachings of the Fire Nation, that fire was strength and power. He had always believed it, because nothing but power would conquer the world, and would something as weak as Waterbending scar his face, or something as blunt and clumsy as Earthbending? Would the air caress him into submission? It had not been arrogance, though it had been present in spades. Zuko had genuinely believed that fire was superior.

Now he believed in balance, things were not so clear cut. He didn't regret that, but things seemed…simpler. His firebending was fueled by anger, his mission as simple as it came: find and capture the Avatar and bring him back to the Fire Nation. Azula's cold sociopathic and slightly psychotic nature had ensured she would be better than he ever could be when he was driven by feelings of bitterness, anger, and being second best. Things had changed now. She was better, but not by much.

Of course, there was the question of how much to tell Uncle. He believed in spirits, but this might be a stretch even for him, and Zuko wasn't exactly sure whether this was real or some sort of spiritual journey the Avatar Spirit had sent him on. Maybe it was the last gift of a dying Avatar, to correct Zuko's mistakes and help him feel more at peace with himself. Maybe this wasn't a second chance to save Aang at all. Sighing a little, Zuko turned to go inside and down into the prow, where the hold would open and the heavy door crush through the walls of snow surrounding the village. He couldn't believe that. He wouldn't believe that.

He would save Aang's life. He would help him actually master Firebending before the invasion, rather than just grounding him with enough to defend and strike back. He needed to learn the finesse of it, the intricacies of fighting and lightning. Aang was a smart kid, and no doubt he would learn in months what took Zuko most of his life, but the banished prince couldn't dislike him for it. Toph was still somehow better at Earthbending than Aang, just as Katara was better at Waterbending. Zuko was sure that in some small way he would be better at Firebending. But first he needed to do things right, buy more time. Zuko ran his hand over his head, picking at the band that held the pony tail up. Another thing he needed to do was grow some hair. Aang looked better with it and so did he. How he stood it he had no idea.

Gently prodding at the scarred flesh of the left side of his face as if to reassure himself that that part of him would always remain the same; Zuko trod down the confining, prison-like corridors of his small ship, making his way towards his quarters. It was all too easy to slip back into the mindset he had at the time, as if his memory was constantly and gently reminding him that this wasn't how he should be. He shouldn't be enlightened, less angry, committed to balance. He should be spitting with fury, deeply upset and convinced in the superiority of the Fire Nation.

Zuko knew better than anyone how difficult doing the right thing could be. For all her worries that were unjustified, that was a worry that Katara could legitimately have as her greatest fear. He needed some sort of physical anchor, to remind him of what he was. What he had to become to help Aang…all too often was he irritated by the little foibles of his uncle, the constant beard tugging, for example. It helped Uncle focus, but this was more than a matter of focus. He needed a reminder. Uncle had been fairly constant through his entire transformation from the exiled prince to Firebending teacher.

So it was with that thought in mind that he altered his course and went a few hatches further down the corridor, cracking open the door. His uncle was suspiciously patting at the hammock, and Zuko suddenly knew _why_ it had taken Uncle so long to respond while the Avatar was gallivanting all over the ship. He was sleeping! As if feeling his nephew's gaze on him, Iroh turned and gave his best smile, which Zuko had long since learned to interpret during their travels in the Earth Kingdom as the 'I am certainly not thinking of doing what it was obvious I was about to do until you caught me' look.

"Oh, Prince Zuko, I didn't see you there! I was just patting down this hammock. You know, this place gets awfully dusty, and I'm convinced it makes me sneeze in my sleep. You see…" Seeing Iroh begin to move his arms in a rather exaggerated fashion and sensing his uncle was about to create a ridiculously elaborate excuse which had impeccable credentials in both logic and irrefutability, Zuko quickly cut in.

"Of course Uncle. I was just walking by and it suddenly struck me that I had to know what your favourite Pai Sho tile was!" Zuko began to walk back and forth, one hand out in front of him and eyes closed in a perfectly respectable and scholarly look. Zuko was reminded of the time he tried rehearsing his attempt to join the gang at the Western Air Temple. But Zuko was a terrible liar, all in all, and Iroh was not fooled for a second.

"Why, Zuko, I am flattered! My favourite tile, without a doubt, must be the White Lotus tile." Iroh leaned forward conspiratorially, producing the tile from his sleeve. Even knowing its significance, Zuko could help but find that somewhat disturbing. "It is the cornerstone of my-"

Zuko instantly reached forward and snatched it from a protesting and rather upset Iroh, who Zuko promptly interrupted. "Your unique strategy, yes, I know. Do you mind if I spend some time to meditate on it? The tactics of Pai Sho may prove useful in my battle against the Avatar." Despite his best efforts, Zuko couldn't carry it off, and Iroh reached forward and snatched it back just as quickly.

"You may most certainly not, Nephew! This tile and I are inseparable! We are like brothers!" Zuko just stared. Even Uncle rarely resorted to those kinds of tactics, but the deep and affectionate voice was familiar. When that voice was taken the battle against the Dragon of the West was lost. Zuko straightened and began a new play against his Uncle. It was gamble, but it might work.

"Then if not your favourite Pai Sho tile, Uncle, I want my grandfather's crown." Zuko had laid a calmer and less confrontational tone into his voice, but it had an undercurrent of steel. Iroh twisted up his face as if pained by the comment, and he probably was. His voice rapidly undertook a softer and sadder tone to it, and this was not theatrical like his previous performance had been.

"That is worn by your father, Prince Zuko, and you will not have your honour or birthright restored to you without the Avatar." Zuko stared at his uncle steadily, as if daring him to keep going. Though his expression didn't alter, he knew with some certainty that it was exactly the expression he would have had before, as if the most important driving force in his life was unmentionable. As if his pain would cease if nobody spoke of it…now he knew that had been delusion, and his tone lost all pretense of confrontation.

"I never lost my honour, Uncle, and I don't mean that crown. I mean the crown that belonged to both my grandfathers. Please. Trust me, Uncle. Trust what I could become." Zuko was surprised when he kept talking, as he hadn't really thought far enough ahead to think what he was going to do with it other than keep it close. The side of his mouth twitched upwards for a moment. Old habits died harder than he thought, but he couldn't be said to not be quick on his feet.

Iroh looked nothing short of shocked. Zuko couldn't blame him. He would have been overjoyed to hear his nephew say anything even remotely similar, but Zuko had been unable to tell him that before the Dragon of the West put his plan in motion and single handedly engineered a prison escape. Uncle always had been smart, and Zuko should have realised that he could take care of himself, the Day of Black Sun being the perfect opportunity. He would have come anyway to check, of course. He might as well substitute 'Uncle' for 'Father', and he was ashamed that Ozai heard how much Uncle meant to him first.

But eventually Iroh found his voice. "Prince Zuko, I don't…" He simply couldn't finish the sentence, and Zuko couldn't help but wonder what he intended to say. That he didn't understand how he knew? That he didn't understand what Zuko meant, in an attempt to deny it? That he was overjoyed? Anything would be better than this silence, and he was a little sad that Uncle didn't know all he had been through. All he understood…somehow all the trials of his life seemed diminished without anybody else knowing or appreciating what he went through.

Zuko gently laid a hand on the shoulder of the armour Iroh habitually wore on the ship.

"Uncle…the crown." He would be crashing through the walls of the village within the hour and the flare might even have already gone up. Iroh stared into his nephew's eyes, amber meeting amber, as if he was searching for something. Then, ever so slowly, he turned to his desk and opened one of the drawers, reaching into it. There was a click, and a large wooden panel came away.

Reaching into the secret compartment, Iroh removed the crown, still wrapped the same way Zuko remembered it, as if untouched by time. Reverently pulling back the folds to reveal it, pin and all, the Dragon of the West held it out, the gold bands and elegant wings glinting in the low light. Zuko took it, staring down at it as if it would tell him what he needed to know. The last time he held this he had been outside the bars of a prison cell…not this time.

"Thank you, Uncle. I'll keep it safe." Carefully rewrapping it, Zuko turned towards the hatch. "Oh, and Uncle? Thank you. For everything." There was just silence, and Zuko didn't know whether it was one of contemplation or quiet pride. Stepping out the hatch and closing it behind him with a loud creak and metallic clang, Zuko stepped a short way down the corridor and into his own quarters, looking around it with something approaching nostalgia. Carefully placing the still wrapped crown onto the desk, Zuko couldn't help but stare down at it and think about what it was.

The last testament of Fire Lord Sozin had been an incredible thing to read. It was like stepping into the past, into the mind of the greatest Fire Lord of all time. Instead of finding the man who was revered as the incarnation of Agni who made the Fire Nation great, he found a man…a man flawed, and full of sorrow he couldn't express. The way he fondly spoke of Roku and their childhood together spoke volumes…he never actually said he regretted the drift apart, but Zuko couldn't help but feel that was what Sozin felt on his deathbed.

Sozin had first known Roku as a friend, then the Avatar. For Zuko it had been the opposite, as the Avatar then a friend. There was no duty that the friendship the Fire Prince and Avatar held was not prepared for, because Aang had the greatest strain he would ever have in ending the war. Perhaps Zuko was making up for the mistakes Sozin made in that friendship.

"Flare!" The familiar voice of the navigator rang about lower decks, and Zuko smiled faintly, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing. Two in, two out. Two in, two out. Opening his eyes again, Zuko reached for his armour. Despite what he said before, it occurred to him he didn't want to change too much, in case it went horribly wrong. It was time to meet the Avatar for the first time…again.

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**I would just like to thank everybody who reviewed again. I can't describe how it felt to open my email in the morning to find such a deluge. My heart swelled that people liked the idea so much, when even I wasn't really sure whether I liked the idea! Still, it caught my attention, so I must be doing something right. Hehe.**

**Twilight Dragoness: You may be a few fries short of a happy meal, but I can almost certainly assure you that most of us are. I loved your review because it was the sort that I love: plenty of praise, a few pointers of the writing, and your affirmation of the neediness of writers made me giggle. Like a little girl. Happy now?**

**superkawaiifoxy: That is the idea, and I don't think Zuko is going to be letting in on the source of his knowledge – he doesn't want this to get even more screwed up than last time!**

**Michelle: You are quite right about what Zuko is going to do, and I was pretty sure that is how it was going to go. I don't know until I start writing it, but I can't see any other way Zuko could realistically do it. **

**Lady Padfoot21: Advice taken! Any encouragement makes me all the more enthusiastic about doing just that.**

**bloodstar: I'll try to keep it interesting, but I don't have much except a vague plot. You can't plan too much, or the characters are not true to themselves. Especially Zuko, our little angst-muffin.**

**mystic mizu: Your wish is my command. I hope you keep reading!**

**midnight oasis: I'm not sure how I first thought of this, probably some delusional snippit of a dream. But your review is appreciated, because I'm an attention starved fellow. I need approval, dammit!**

**ME: I'm glad you think my writing is good, since it is one of my few advantages. I'll try to keep up the same standard, but I can't promise anything if I get excited!**

**PS: Remember to review, people! Hits are all well and good, but I can't tell if people are actually reading it or not! Muffins for all who review! Read it and don't review? No muffin for you. See, it rhymes! Sort of.**


	3. Meeting the Avatar

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed chapter two! With the main first chunk done, I'm not going to do anymore until I get some more reviews showing people want me to.**

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The hold was cold, the steam and boilers that powered the engines of the small ship failing to sufficiently heat the large area. Supplies of food and great drums of water were stacked in the darkness like dark, foreboding shapes, all sharp angles and cold metal. In the back Zuko could even see the small patrol boat he used to reach Avatar Roku's temple, and he couldn't help but feel another pang of nostalgia. It hadn't been a pleasant past, but it was familiar, and a time long gone.

Standing in his armour, but without his helmet this time, Zuko waited. Three crewmen with long pikes stood with him, along with three firebenders, ready to subdue any resistance in the village through fear and violence. Zuko was the only Firebender in the group: it was common knowledge that the benders of the Southern Water Tribe were no more, their blood diluted so greatly by inferiority that their bending gifts had vanished. Now Zuko knew the darker side of that, the raids. It was going to be hard not to think of that when he saw that little huddle of frightened villagers.

The last time he had not come down to the hold so early to wait, and he couldn't help but shift slightly, and the pikemen exchanged knowing glances. The rumour was the search was over, and Prince Zuko had seen the Avatar airbending across the ice. Zuko had spread the rumour with a few choice words as he moved downward into the bowels of the ship. He hadn't actually seen Aang this time, but he had replayed the image of him jumping down the tiered tower of the wrecked ship with pinpoint accuracy. It had been emblazoned in his mind as one of the most pivotal moments of his life.

Footsteps rang against cold metal, and the masked face of one of the firebenders appeared. "Prince Zuko, helm reports contact with the defensive wall in thirty seconds." Zuko nodded, looking suitably imperious. It wasn't difficult, his face remembered all the right muscles and all the emotions for it. But it felt…strange. As if it was difficult to assume. Another change from his old self.

"Good. Return to your post." No thanks, nothing but a nod in return. As things were. The Firebender responded with a short bow and formal acknowledgement of his orders and moved away, the ringing footsteps growing fainter with every passing moment. Zuko couldn't help but smile slightly. The Firebender was cutting it close for the sake of sounding dignified as he walked away, and Zuko shifted his stance slightly to bear the forward shock, the pikemen at his right placing hands on storage crates.

The ship hit the ice with a massive thump, the hard-packed snow giving way to the steel and iron alloys of the prow, the concentrated force shearing and crumbling the wall. Zuko closed his eyes, the rattling increasing in intensity as the prow drove further into the ice, shedding forward momentum as the helmsman drove the ship through the wall. Enough snow would stop the ship, and it did, the engines dying down as the weight of the snow in front of the ship became too great. It was silent.

Zuko looked about himself, the pikemen and firebenders moving back into a stricter formation. He nodded at the one closest to the door, and he nodded back. The command was unspoken, but recognised. Moving to the door controls, the pikeman threw the door control and stepped back in formation, Zuko feeling with something approaching regret that he didn't even know the man's name. Two years on a ship alone, and he hadn't even bothered to learn the names of his small compliment other than the most important.

With a hiss of steam, the door clamps released, the dull thumps reverberating around the ship, the release of steam pushing the metal those few crucial inches away from the rest of the hull…then it fell, the heavy pointed top weight of the prow swinging downwards and thudding into the snow. Zuko took a deep breath as the steam cleared and made a few silent gestures. Firebenders in front, pikes behind. To deviate from military protocol would have been seen as unusual. Then again, this was the Avatar. He could probably have gotten away with it.

Nonetheless, he followed it to the letter, stepping out into the _pristine_ air, letting the sharp and brisk cold of it work painfully into his lungs, invigorating him. It would take a minute, but he would adjust. Zuko stepped down the metal gangplank, seeing Sokka waiting for him at the bottom, crouched like a silent sentinel. With a loud warcry, Sokka threw himself forward, club raised upwards. With a single kick Zuko disarmed the Water Tribesman and then swung about and delivered a firm kick to his backside that sent Sokka into a snowdrift.

Shaking his head minutely as gasps went up among the villagers, Zuko silently lamented at how long it would take Sokka to use that deceptive intelligence and get a sword. His club was about as much use as a large toothpick against an opponent that could think and fight back. Silently facing the villagers, Zuko scanned over the crowd. Particularly old woman, children, more women…no men but Sokka. Fixing his eyes on Katara, Zuko had to resist the urge to smile. She was frightened, but he could still see that spark.

"Where is he?" The question was simple. They couldn't answer it, of course. Zuko had believed they knew they were hiding the Avatar. They had to know, of course. Reaching forward mechanically, as if reading from an inner script, which he was, Zuko grabbed the old woman and pulled her out the crowd, turning her towards them. "About this old? Master of all elements?"

Shoving the woman back into the crowd, who was grabbed by Katara, Zuko took a deep breath, mentally pausing at her reaction. Familial relation of the Waterbender, perhaps? Letting out the breath in and explosive but carefully controlled burst, Zuko sent a wave of fire over their heads, to a cry of screams. It was more powerful than he intended, more powerful than he could have mustered at the time, but did no harm. "I know you are hiding him!"

As if on cue, there was a yell mounting in volume from behind him by Sokka, whose footsteps over the snow crunched in increasing volume and frequency. Zuko couldn't help but smile at that, though it was no doubt interpreted by the villagers as cruelty. He was reminded instantly of Sokka screaming 'sneak attack' during one of Aang's training sessions just before the final battle with his father. It was…a pleasant memory. He had laughed.

Shifting his weight, Zuko bent over and threw Sokka as the Water Tribe warrior tried to deliver a good club strike to Zuko's head. Admirable attempt, and just screaming 'Sokka' in every way, but completely unsuccessful. Falling into the snow, Sokka rolled to face the Fire Prince and threw his boomerang, which Zuko dodged by tilting his upper body. One of the small children threw a nasty but artistic looking bone spear to Sokka and shouted at the top of his lungs to show no fear.

Now that Zuko couldn't help but smile at, and it momentarily distracted him from the charging Sokka, but not nearly long enough. Breaking the wooden shaft with a single strike, Zuko took the rest from Sokka and poked him in the head with the end until he fell over. What happened next? Oh yes, the boomerang hit his helmet and…wait. He didn't have a helmet on this time. _He didn't have his helmet on!_

Hearing the whirring sound of something spinning very fast, Zuko let out a cry and dove to the side, the brutally sharp side of the boomerang missing his head by mere inches. Recovering quickly, he stood and made sure that Sokka hadn't taken advantage of the weak moment. He hadn't, still shaking his head to clear it. Next came Aang on the penguin…

Zuko obviously remembered it differently, because the sound of sliding over the compacted ice and snow came a little earlier than he remembered it, but the blow to the back of the legs hadn't lost any of its potency, sweeping his feet off the ground and letting him smack into the ground. Hard. It was hard to maintain goodwill when your face was pressed into what felt like permafrost, Zuko thought. Very, very hard.

Recovering with a growl, Zuko slipped into a firebending position. On cue, the firebenders and pikemen fanned out in different directions, all centred on this new interloper. Aang waited until they were either side of him and delivered three quick waves of air to each side, saving to most powerful for Zuko, who raised his arms to shield his face from the flying ice. Melting the snow which clung to his armour and hands was easy, and Zuko stared at the Avatar as he did.

"You're the Airbender. You're the Avatar." The first time his voice had been filled with something approaching incredulity. The Avatar couldn't be a child, it just wasn't possible. This time it was with simple certainty. He heard a questioning sound from Katara, but ignored it. Wasting no time, Zuko sent a fireblast straight at Aang, who twirled his staff to create a protective shield of air. Zuko couldn't help comparing and feeling a little disappointed. He just didn't retaliate. Too pacifistic, at the moment which would change. A sad, but necessary thing.

Zuko carefully toned his fireblasts to as low a level as he could without making them useless, but some still spilled over the shield and towards the villagers who screamed when the licking, hungry flames grew closer. Aang looked back, and twirled his staff into a ready position, but then seemed to relent and stand up, staff held vertically in front of him. Uselessly.

"If I go with you, will you promise to leave these people alone?" Zuko didn't hesitate this time, standing and nodding with an air of finality. One of the pikemen stepped forward along with a firebender from the other side, one taking the glider staff and the both pressing against the young Avatar's back. As they began to walk back up the gangplank, Zuko heard Katara cry out, and Aang reassure her it was going to be fine.

Signalling the navigator on the bridge with a hand gesture, Zuko went through the motions. "Set a course for the Fire Nation!" There was an imperceptible nod from the figure on the bridge, and Zuko stepped into the cargo bay, and the door closed behind him, Aang's face steadily covered in shadow, and then, darkness.

* * *

Zuko looked at the small mirror in his quarters and grimaced at his pony tail. He had tried letting it down, but it just looked even worse. He needed to stop cutting the rest of his hair and just let it grow, but it was annoying and a little worrying to see himself this way. The way he looked just seemed to automatically conjure up anger. The sooner he changed his appearance to how he was before the better. He didn't want to go through another personality conflict, and every little bit helped.

Currently the ship was steaming through the great passage of ice he remembered so well. The glider staff was set on a low table, designed for sitting on the floor and serving tea. Zuko had tactically stolen it from Uncle's quarters and laid the staff across from it, seemingly invisibly dividing the room halfway between the door and the other wall. Nothing else was on the table, Roku's crown comfortably hidden inside the drawer of Zuko's desk.

If memory served correctly, the Avatar-Aang-was even now escaping from below decks. He probably hadn't made it inside the main areas yet, but that would be no more than a few minutes. Then there were a few more minutes before Appa arrived with the Water Tribe duo to spirit the young Airbender away to who knew where. He hadn't asked during his time with the group where their travels had taken them besides where he had already met them. In any case, it wasn't a concern.

Still, he knew the idea shouldn't have tempted him…maybe it was his old self, which he was beginning to view as more separate than part of your personality should be. But the idea to subdue Aang, which he could do…take him back to the Fire Nation, publicly reclaim his honour, conquer the world…it was a heady thought, and seductive. Deep down he knew he couldn't do that, but still…it was there in the back of his mind.

Maybe he was more resilient because he had failed to resist it before. In Ba Sing Se he had given into those exact same urges, except this time it was a sure thing. It made the massive mistake he made before into simply making a morally dubious choice, and Zuko wasn't sure he liked that way of thinking. He knew how caring Aang was, how protective Katara was, fondly remembered the wise-cracking of Sokka…and Toph…

Zuko tensed suddenly at the sound of running in the corridor. It could be one of the soldiers running to stop the Avatar, or it could be Aang. His timing had been wrong before today…maybe he had already changed things to the point where he couldn't rely on the fine details being right. The door opened, and Aang rushed through the grab his staff, but only got halfway to the table when he saw Zuko, freezing as if he hadn't been noticed. Zuko's back was facing him, after all. It was a naïve, childish assumption.

Zuko turned around and Aang recoiled, tensing to jump for his staff…and was stopped by a much softer voice than he had heard outside. "Sit down, Aang" The Airbender understandably didn't move from his defensive position as Zuko walked round to the other side of the table and sat down, making himself defenseless, or so it seemed. It was a very nonthreatening move, and although he was confident in Aang's pacifism and curiosity, he couldn't help but be acutely aware that this was the point that entire plan could unravel.

Zuko raised one hand, palm up, and gestured at the other side of the table. Aang slowly sat, looking wary. It was the same look he gave Zuko at the western air temple, and Zuko knew this was a signal that the Avatar was wary, but willing to talk. He noted with some relief that there wasn't the blatant dislike-even hate there had been before. Of course Aang didn't hate him yet…but still, it was a weight off his chest.

"I'm sorry about at the village. I needed to get you alone, and this was the best way. I'm sure the two Water Tribe siblings are coming after you on the bison." There was still flickering doubt in Aang's eyes, but it was in his nature to believe the best of people. Give second chances.

"Who are you? And how did you know my name?" Zuko noted with interest the determination in Aang's voice. It lacked the undercurrent of steel forged by suffering that would come later…or maybe not at all, now. But Zuko didn't aim to spare Aang suffering he had to go out of the way to prevent. As much as it made him uncomfortable, things were best played out as close to the original as possible.

"I am Prince Zuko. Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. In exile. You are Aang, the Avatar. I heard the Water Tribe girl mention your name." Katara…Zuko was a little glad that she wasn't as good as she would be. The idea of fighting her raised the hairs on his neck, especially after her threat just after his arrival to the group. The feeling had never quite faded.

"Her name is Katara." Zuko couldn't help but be a little surprised. It was not unlike Aang to clarify points like names or defend his companions from criticism, but was he developing feelings for Katara _already?_ Maybe it really was love at first sight. Metaphorically speaking, Toph had joked. He missed her already.

"Katara…Aang, there are things you need to know. I am not your enemy, but only you and I can know that. Tell nobody else, not even your friends. You are the Avatar, and you are valuable. The Fire Nation will want you captured and brought before the Fire Lord. The War has raged for one hundred years, and you need to end it. Learn the four elements. Water, Earth, Fire. You are the Avatar, and you have to bring balance to the world."

Zuko smirked a little. "And don't worry about practice. I'll be chasing you the entire way, and I won't be letting you go unless you prove yourself a little better than before." Aang was just staring at Zuko with and odd look on his face, and Zuko wondered if some sort of primal recognition was there, if he wasn't the only person who could remember…

"Then…what do I do?" Apparently not. Maybe the Avatar Spirit remembered, maybe not. But it wasn't here. Aang sounded lost. He had come in here to get his staff, maybe fight Zuko for it. This turned things on its head. There was a roar from up on deck, a very familiar one. Appa had arrived, and as Aang snapped his head around, Zuko rose.

"You have to find out yourself, Aang. And now, this conversation is over." Giving Aang just enough time to react, Zuko threw a fireblast at him. He wouldn't try him too hard at first, but he was confident that Aang would come out alright. And when he learned Earth, Zuko would be there waiting for him. Or Uncle.

Trapping the fireblast in a sphere of air, Aang let it dissipate and grabbed his staff. Zuko carefully circled the Airbender, throwing the occasional fireblast. _Come on Aang, strike back!_ There was the occasional burst of disrupting air, but nothing serious, and another roar sounded from up on deck. _Wait, didn't he-_ With a large, sweeping gust of air, Aang threw the mattress at him.

* * *

Zuko was still holding his head as he watched the bison fly away. He could have sworn that Aang didn't throw the mattress nearly as hard the first time. And he only smacked him into the ceiling once, not three times. Iroh came up behind the Fire Prince, watching the Avatar go. Zuko felt a little grumble and spark of anger bubble up between his teeth. "Uncle. Fireblast."

Taking a deep breath and moving together, the Fire Prince and the Dragon of the West threw a massive fireball up towards the fleeing bison, and just as expected, a slice of air threw it into one of the ice cliffs. Sighing as the wall of ice thundered down onto the prow, Zuko mentally tallied the day. He had to get the ship in for repairs, where Zhao would no doubt find out about the Avatar from some drunken crew members, or maybe just those feeling the Fire Nation had to know.

"Good news for the Fire Lord. The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a little kid." Uncle's voice had an undercurrent of laughter, and Zuko grit his teeth again.

"That kid, Uncle, did this." Sweeping his arm out to encompass the pile of ice covering the front of the ship, Zuko sighed. Oh, that frustration was very easy to reach for now. He wasn't even faking it. "Melt out the crew and set a course for the nearest dockyard."

Meanwhile, a young Airbender stared down at the receding ship with a thoughtful expression, then allowed himself to be drawn into the victorious and exaggerated reenactments of how Aang had waterbent most of the crew overboard, while the Fire Prince clung to the railing. Katara laid a soft hand on the shoulder of the young monk, and he smiled.

* * *

**Muffins for daveshan and tege for their reviews. Always appreciated. Remember the Review Revolution pledge: **_**I, Sayle, do solemnly swear to review all the fics I enjoy, regardless of the number of reviews, its age, or anything else. **_**It's a good pledge. Please follow it, because it lets me know how many people actually like the story, rather than those who read it and don't.**


	4. Interlude: Conflicts

**This is my last chapter of the day. Believe it or not, but I was only half-way through chapter two at lunch, so I'm understandably thrilled with both the progress and the enthusiastic reception the story has gotten in such a short time! I would like to again thank Lioness(as I did in one of my other stories) for inspiring me to start writing again, and I highly recommend her currently running story Earthquake and my two other favourites: Ozai's Vengeance, A Zutara story without equal, and Land of Earth and Stone by Arcole, another story which captured my heart. (Toko. My favourite ship, actually.)**

* * *

Zuko massaged his temples with something approaching exhaustion. The fact was he didn't know where the Avatar…where Aang was, and there were no guarantees that Aang would show up on Kyoshi Island. Besides, Aang hadn't learned anything new yet…then again, it was always worth knowing where he was. If Aang didn't show up on Kyoshi there was always the possibility that the journey could take an entirely different path.

Despite Zuko's desire to actually skip a lot of meaningless confrontations, it may be for the best. But first he had to get Zhao to let him to leave, and that meant Agni Kai. He had no doubt he could beat Zhao, after all, he had done it the first time and his Firebending skills were infinitely better than they had been at the time. Simply put, Zhao didn't stand a chance.

Zhao…even with his impending death, the man was just as irritating, and the consolation that Zhao would vanish under the waves at the North Pole was little consolation to the exiled Fire Prince. Those insufferable sideburns had become something of a harbinger of frustration for Zuko, as apparently Zhao rightly suspected something. Apparently the crew had not disclosed the reason for the damage to Zhao when they had before, which was causing Zuko worry about not being able to keep up with the Avatar. The idea of being a step behind Aang the entire journey haunted his dreams.

The cutting remarks, the smug superiority…they hit all the right buttons which made Zuko want to burn the expression straight off of Zhao's face, greater restraint or not. Seeing him just conjured up all the burning hate he possessed for the man with an intense ferocity that threatened to have him breaking out in spontaneous displays of Firebending that would not go unnoticed.

"Ah, Prince Zuko, an amazing thing. Having personally interrogated your crew, I discovered that you had the Avatar aboard…and let him escape. You needn't worry, though. I have drawn together a search party, and once I am away you will be escorted back to your ship." Zuko drove a sharp and angry breath through his nose.

"Don't underestimate me, Zhao! I will find the Avatar before _you_." Instead of the anger and spitting fury that had been there before, there was a sort of calm certainty. Zhao seemed taken aback for a moment, then that irritating, smug laugh rung round the tent, as if he found the idea incredulous.

Meanwhile, Iroh had stood, as in on the verge of reprimanding the prince, though he seemed somewhat mollified by the non-confrontational tone of Zuko's challenge. He stood on the side like a watcher, a silent but careful mediator between the two, though he made no attempt to speak, more a constant presence.

"You can't compete with me, Prince Zuko. I have hundreds of warships under my command! And you…you're just a banished prince. No home, no allies… your own father doesn't even want you." Zuko narrowed his eyes. The poisonous denial on his lips died as he caught himself, a little shiver running up his spine. He almost denied it…he almost denied it…but Zhao was right. His father didn't want him, and he had to remind himself of that.

Hissing through his teeth to try and bleed off some of the anger he was feeling, Zuko reached into his sleeve and brushed his thumb over the Pai Sho tile he had sewn into the inside of his sleeve. It wasn't Uncle's white lotus tile, or even from Iroh's playing set, but it was a visceral and constant reminder that he seemed to need. It sent a surge of fear through him that he had come so close to completely slipping into what he used to be.

"In fact," Zhao continued, seeing a chance to inflict further damage, "if your father wanted you home he would already have restored your honour…Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes you are a failure, and a disgrace to the Fire Nation. You have the scar to prove it." Zuko tried desperately not to burst into a rage, and barely succeeded. He needed to meditate, but he hadn't the time.

He could prove Zhao wrong. He could return home with the Avatar within weeks if he went straight to Kyoshi and the Avatar was there. With his new Firebending abilities he could defeat Aang and crush the fledgling Katara under his foot. He could again become heir to the throne, then in time Fire Lord of the whole subjugated world.

Letting out a yowl of frustration at even thinking such things, Zuko boiled up out of his chair and directed that fury at Zhao. "Perhaps you would like a scar to match!" He was surprised by the volume of his voice and the undercurrent of raw fury in it. Zhao laughed again, that infuriating chuckle driving Zuko half-mad.

"Is that a challenge, Prince Zuko?" Zuko stared into Zhao's eyes. He could end this, right now. He could stop Zhao with a single, well positioned lightning bolt during the Agni Kai. He hesitated and looked at Uncle, who was carefully watching his nephew in case he would attack Zhao. Zuko wondered how many Zhao would kill before his demise at the North Pole…how many murders Zuko could stop him committing.

"Agni Kai. At sunset." Zuko suddenly felt very, very calm, his rage vanishing as if it had never existed. Zhao would die, and lives would be saved. Zhao stepped back and straightened out, the smirk gone.

"Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to see me humiliate you. I suppose your uncle will do." Zhao turned and left, and Zuko began to feel the red hot rage creep in on the edges of his unnatural calm. He could do so much now, and he didn't need to fear Zhao.

* * *

"Remember your Firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons." Zuko rose and turned, the ceremonial cloth fluttering down to huddle round the back of his feet, without making a reply. Zhao stood at the other end of the sparring ground, four of his officers standing behind him.

"I'll make this quick." Zuko smiled coldly at Zhao's words and just stood there as the gong rang. The Fire Navy commander didn't move, apparently waiting for the prince to attack and judge his strength. Slipping into a higher stance than what was required for most Firebending, he let out a deep breath and looked at Zhao, beginning to move his fingers in the classical method of making lightning that Iroh had shown him, above the wrecked village.

Zuko dragged his fingers round in a circle…and nothing happened. Frowning, Zuko began again…he could feel the energies, he knew where they were, they just refused to separate. On the other side of the sparring ground, Zhao stood up.

"Are you going to wave your fingers all day, Prince Zuko, or actually _try_ to fight this time?" Zuko jerked up his head from where he was deep in thought, the stinging reminder of the Agni Kai with his father where he refused to fight hitting home. Zhao smirked, and moved to attack, pulling back his arm for what was going to be a truly vicious blast.

Zuko laughed bitterly, remembering Uncle's words. Remember the Firebending basics, Zuko, he had said. How ironic that even for lightning he had failed to do just that. _Lightning is a pure expression of Firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion…it is cold and precise, like Azula. _Was that what he was going to become, like Azula? How could he even let himself think like that?!

With a roar, Zhao launched a powerful fireblast, which Zuko leaped away from, dodging it, feeling as if the licking and hungry flames were caressing his skin. _I'm sorry, Uncle. I should have listened._ Raising his head, Zuko took a deep breath. He made mistakes. Even now, knowing all this, he still made mistakes.

"I'm sorry, Uncle." Iroh looked shocked for a second then jerked forward, fists clenched.

"No, Zuko! Do not dishonour yourself by submitting to this man! Fight!" Zuko smiled bitterly, but fixed his gaze on Zhao. He intended to. Leaping forward, Zuko planted his stance and cried out as he let loose a fireblast eerily similar to the one he had launched at Aang in Ba Sing Se, the truly gigantic comet of flame expanding as it made a muffled roar.

It was a sobering reminder, even as Zhao leaped out of the way and Zuko went on the offensive. He made similar mistakes under Ba Sing Se, believing that the quickest and seemingly easiest path was best, that reconciling with home was still his goal. Given the greatest second chance he had ever had, and he still almost fell into the same trap.

Whirling about into a kick and a sweep of flame, Zuko almost swept Zhao off his feet, putting the Commander and Admiral-to-be off balance. Leaping forward further, closing the distance rapidly, Zuko kept Zhao off balance with several sharp and quick fireblasts, the small bolts more effective than the most all-encompassing offensive in keeping the arrogant firebender off balance.

Slipping in close enough, Zuko closed his eyes momentarily, no more than the time it took to blink before snapping them. Zhao was too off balance to do anything. Shifting his stance and planting his feet, Zuko moved into the last moves of the Dancing Dragon, the motions reminding him of the soft, welcoming warmth of the flames he was producing as his defense, his weapon.

_Fire is life…_with a cry, Zuko finished the final move, delivering a devastating fireblast to Zhao's side, clenched fists pressed to the Commander's side as the flames erupted and sent him flying through the air and rolling to the ground. Zuko was amazed at his restraint, feeling a little pride well up as he realised he had saved Zhao without meaning to, limiting his fireblast to minimal heat and maximum force.

The Commander groaned, his skin an angry red, but nothing compared to what Zuko had received two years earlier from his father. "Don't get in my way again, Zhao." Without any other parting words, Zuko turned his back and began to walk away. The commander was more injured than he had been the last time, stunned. There would be no parting fireblast, no last minute treachery in the last moments of Agni Kai.

"Come on Uncle. We have an Avatar to find." Iroh stood there for a moment, looking at Zhao with a suspicious expression, then after Zuko with an expression of complete and utter blankness. It hid suspicion, quiet pride, and determination. Then the Dragon of the West bowed his head and followed after his nephew, leaving the sparring ground behind.

* * *

**Thanks everyone who reviewed, the amount I'm getting has really encouraged me to keep going with this story! **

**Requiem of Solance: I wouldn't worry about this becoming a Zutara pairing story. This isn't going to focus on romance save for references, and those references will NOT be Zutara.**

**TwilightG: Your enthusiasm is gratefully accepted, and give yourself some credit: it was actually your review that convinced me to do another chapter.**

**RueBroadway: You can be sure Iroh will notice! The Dragon of the West isn't likely to miss changes in his beloved nephew, or ignore them. If I were him I would be mighty suspicious...**

**superkawaiifoxy: Your review really encouraged me as well, especially you saying that you thought people would enjoy it. What is a story without an audience? And I'm thrilled I managed to pick up somebody who reviewed the same story twice!**

**daveshan: Be assured, most if not ALL those things are going to happen. Stay tight!**

**pez: Like I said to Rue, Iroh didn't get his title by sitting around, and he knows something odd when he sees it. And he most certainly just saw it.**


	5. Interlude: Revelations

**This chapter is significantly shorter than usual simply because it is more a continuation of the Interlude, though I am loathe to have two interludes one after the other. But I can assure you that after this chapter its straight back into the action that we know and love, with a few nice twists!**

* * *

Zuko sighed and placed down his instruments, the map of the world staring up at him from his desk. He had been attempting to plot the general course he believed Aang had taken the first time, but he was sure he didn't know all the stops, and the times didn't match up. There were at least five or six stops he knew nothing about, not to mention the complex mathematics required was more the forte of a navigator, not his.

But he couldn't precisely ask the navigator to plot the dozens of courses he was trying out, not to mention the suspicious nature of a great deal of them. Uncle was already suspicious beyond comfortable levels, and hadn't talked to him in depth for several days, which was remarkably unlike him. In fact, Zuko had found him in the ships small repository of scrolls, and Uncle had just looked at him with an inscrutable expression. Neither said a word before Zuko closed the hatch.

To make matters worse, Aang hadn't been on Kyoshi Island as expected. Zuko agonised increasingly over what could have gone wrong. If they had seen his ship, they could have left rather than fighting. Zhao had kept his ship 'undergoing repairs' significantly longer than the first time while the arrogant…Commander pried into personal affairs. The Avatar could have even simply left.

So far Zuko was factoring several days of lag and noting when his various encounters had been to the best of his memory, but he was sure some were a few days off. At the time he hadn't been concerned with keeping a detailed logbook other than staying on the chase. It was a lamentable oversight. All in all, he had a worrying margin of error. He had missed them on the prison platform for those Earthbenders the first time, and he was never going to get there now, though he had set a direct course rather than the meandering search pattern he had followed the first time. He might still manage to get the necklace. The _betrothal _necklace.

Repressing a little overdramatic shudder at the thought of that, Zuko went back. Right on form, he had missed Aang at that Earth Kingdom village he had stayed at the first time, and chased him to Avatar Roku's temple. Then the pirates, the storm…too many near misses. He hadn't actually got hold of Aang properly until he sort of rescued and captured Aang from Zhao. All in all, he didn't like the sort of schedule he was trying to keep up. The delay from Zhao at the dockyard could prove more costly that could have occurred in his darkest dreams.

Picking up the compass for a moment and placing it on the map, Zuko gave up before he even started, flicking the nautical instrument across to the other side of the desk, where it tumbled and clacked on impact with rather satisfying brutality. It was useless. He couldn't do any more this time that he could that last. As much as he wished to be a guiding presence to Aang, it wasn't possible. As if sensing that Zuko was about as close to breaking point as he was going to get today, the hatch creaked open to reveal Iroh standing in the low light.

Zuko turned his head towards the door and sighed, rolling up the map and replacing it in one of the desk drawers, careful not to damage it, eyes lingering on the wrapped crown for a moment before he again closed the drawer, cleaning his desk with unusual vigour.

"This isn't a good time, Uncle." Zuko mentally noted the sound of Uncle stepping into the room and the hatch creaking closed, and couldn't help but feel a little trapped, shoulders tensing.

"We need to talk, Prince Zuko." Oh yes, there was that undercurrent of steel that meant you were talking to the Dragon of the West, not your kind, tea-loving Uncle. This was a tactician, and one to be wary of.

"About what, Uncle?" Zuko began to mentally arrange possible responses. No slip ups, no inconsistencies.

"You, Prince Zuko." Zuko closed his eyes, slipping the requisite bitterness into his voice.

"If this is about my hunt for the Avatar, Uncle-"

"It is about _you_, Prince Zuko!" Zuko winced at the cut-off, and the sound of Iroh's arm rapidly moving. He was pointing at the exiled Prince, the finger like an accusation. "You," the Dragon of the West continued, "have changed these last few days. They are subtle changes, but there. But the most telling was your duel with Zhao."

Zuko tightened his grip on the armrests of the ornate chair, one of the few possessions he took with him from the Fire Nation. It was foolish of him, foolish and deluded to think that the monumental slip up he made in the duel with Zhao would go unnoticed.

"I fought Zhao. I won. Nothing more." Just keep lying. Enough lies support each other.

"You used a technique I never showed you, Prince Zuko! And an old technique that you have _studied_! I can see it in the way you moved, the way you fought. More than that, you knew about the crown, and your other great grandfather! You made a cryptic comment about never having lost your honour!" Uncle was sharp, no denying that. In fact, Zuko wouldn't even think to deny it.

"I took some advice from you, Uncle. I did some reading."

"Where?" The reply was terse, almost demanding.

"Where else? The ships library." The reaction was instant, Iroh stiffening. Zuko knew he had made a mistake. He suddenly knew with a sinking heart why Uncle had been spending so long in the library. Count on the Dragon of the West being that thorough.

"You are lying, Prince Zuko! I read the entire library on this ship! _Nothing!_ _Where did you learn those techniques?_" Iroh's voice had risen to a shout.

Zuko rose, turning towards the other wall, looking at the bare metal, the crimson tapestry with the black crest of the Fire Nation emblazoned on it, seemingly stained with blood and pride.

"Where did you learn the Dancing Dragon, Uncle?" Zuko's voice was carefully controlled, a simple question with no undertones or changes, with no intention discernable. There was a momentary pause from Iroh as he digested this.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean, Prince Zuko." Zuko turned, taking the offensive.

"You know full well, Uncle. You know the Dancing Dragon, you recognise it. Did you visit the ruins of the Sun Warriors? Did you carry the sacred flame to the temple mount? Did you face the dragons? _Were you found worthy?_"

There was a moment of silence from Iroh. Lesser men would have fallen back into a chair for support, but Zuko's uncle just blanched and went silent. When he eventually spoke, his voice was filled with too many emotions to identify.

"Nephew. Zuko."

Zuko sat down again, silent for a while himself. It was over. This was one front he couldn't fight. Uncle would have found him out sooner or later, and out of all the people he knew, Iroh was the one who would believe him. The only question was whether the bond forged between them, the bond of father and later son…was that present, even now?

"I was with Aang…the Avatar. We were fighting my father. We did more than fight him, we _won._ But Aang…Aang was hit by lightning. I couldn't stop it. I failed. And he was dying. The next thing I knew, he said something about the mistakes of the past, and I found myself on deck…just before we found the Avatar."

There were so many things he ached to tell Uncle. How he felt about his father, the trials of facing Azula. How he sometimes missed the teashop in Ba Sing Se. He wanted to talk about Katara, Sokka, Toph…everybody he knew. Everybody he would know. But Uncle…some things even he couldn't understand.

"Zuko…you joined the Avatar? You fought the _Fire Lord_?" Zuko was silent for a moment. There had been incredulity in Uncle's voice.

"You always wanted the best for me, Uncle. You taught me about balance, but I didn't listen. When I did, it was too late. I had betrayed your trust for what I thought I wanted." Zuko swallowed, trying to banish the growing lump in his throat. He couldn't tell Uncle his story without telling him that.

"But you chose balance, in the end?" Iroh's voice was soft, and Zuko couldn't hear any tone in it besides one of questioning.

"Yes. In the end. But not soon enough." Zuko's voice held bitter condemnation of himself, and it didn't go unnoticed. There was a moment pause, then Zuko found himself pulled into a giant hug, making him think of that moment in the Jasmine Dragon, seemingly so long ago…things were finally looking up, and he was happy.

"It is not often you have a second chance at anything, Prince Zuko." Iroh's voice was comforting as he pulled back. "And you even understand the nature of fire! This is a great day."

"I know, Uncle. I know. I don't intend to waste it, or the chance I have been given." Zuko pulled away, looking at the drawer where he stored the map. "I just don't know where to start anymore."

"Then forget that for the moment, Zuko. Come dance with your poor Uncle. You pay him barely any attention." Zuko couldn't help but smile for a moment.

"You need two for the Dancing Dragon, Uncle. Feeling nostalgic?" Zuko rose from his chair, this time visibly relaxed, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his chest. He had the best ally he could hope for.

"Nostalgic, Prince Zuko? Always." They both exited the room, Zuko closing the hatch behind him. It was nice, to know Uncle was again a support for him.

"Another thing, Uncle... Just call me Zuko."

* * *

**ME - I'm glad you like it. Zuko's conflicts aren't going to quite as major now unless some major temptation comes up to match them. **

**Superkawaiifoxy – You saw the next chapter coming, apparently! Yeah, as you might have noticed that…er…Iroh noticed.**

**Bloodstar – I don't know what MSTing is, but thanks! **

**pez is tasty – Unfortunately no human can keep up 10k words a day, despite best intentions. I think about two thousand a day is a far more realistic goal. As for pairings, there won't be any real romance in this. If there is an urge it will be a spin-off fiction of it's own, so that readers are not forced to read a pairing they don't like.**

**Anon – I'm afraid Katara and Sokka won't find out yet, unless Aang blabs. Then again he kept the whole Blue Spirit incident under wraps, so I think we can trust him.**

**Pepipanda – I'm glad you like the tactic, and I personally have always been wary of Aus that branch out into what seems like entirely different worlds. Some like Sokka: Master of the Black Sword carry it off…most don't.**

**Michelle – I didn't think there would be time for Zuko to give Aang an explanation, and even then, would Aang believe it? He still hasn't found out the extent of the War yet.**

**Midnightoasis - -Thanks for the compliment! I personally worried that I had made the fight scene with Zhao too short, but it occurred to be that to a Zuko with his new abilities Zhao wouldn't pose much of the threat. **

**Daveshan – In some cases Zuko isn't going to be able to make it to places in time, though I think he will try to stay as true as possible to what happened, that just isn't going to be practical…for him or for me. Zuko Alone is going to be interesting…the running away from Iroh isn't going to work this time, is it? Hmm…**

**midnightoasis – I'm thrilled some people are keeping track of the story, and it fills me with pride. I just hope I don't let you guys down! Like I said, don't worry. It will be right back to the action after this.**

**midnightoasis – Hah, you just don't stop, do you! .  
2008-04-18  
ch 2, ****abuse****Fantastic! I love that you're not having him go all willy-nilly "Imma go fix everything!" and that you included contemplation over different possibilities of the journey.**

**ME – I'm glad you like the little details. I know that the last two chapters have been a bit sparse, but once we get thrown back into the action(no, I'm not telling you which episode it is…) I can promise it will be right back!**

**Liooness – Like I have said, I really admire your stories, and I aspire to match! As for such a mistake…what mistake? I don't see any mistake. Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?**


	6. Early Arrivals

**I can't thank everybody who reviewed who enough! I was going to try one today, but almost gave up. One rather dramatic review in particular**** convinced me to keep going. So I hope you enjoy!**

Zuko began to despair. He didn't know whether he had changed something somehow, or whether things were just different from some reason, but more and more of his foreknowledge was becoming spectacularly useless. Oh, Aang had been on the prison rig, and Zuko had found Katara's necklace, but the young Avatar seemed to have deviated from his original course.

Zuko had laid out a map of the world on the bridge, and Iroh was standing over him watchfully. Red markers had been placed to indicate where Zuko believed Aang would be, and green markers for where he had actually been. As far as the navigator and helmsman were concerned the Prince was plotting possibilities, but Zuko was being meticulous at a level beyond that.

"I have no idea where he is, Uncle." Zuko looked down sombrely at the markers. They were beginning to diverge. He really hadn't the faintest clue where Aang was going to be next. Iroh laid a comforting hand on the shoulder of his nephew.

"How did you find him before, Zuko? Persistence." Iroh honestly wasn't sure what to think of his nephew anymore. In times of stress he seemed like the Zuko he had always been, albeit with sharper insights. But when more relaxed, or when they had a solid lead, Zuko could be caught actually smiling on occasion, visibly relaxed, though that tense preparedness never entirely vanished.

The Dancing Dragon had proven a good test of Zuko's claims, and he had pulled it off flawlessly. But when Iroh asked his nephew if there was anything else he should know, he was met with silence. Zuko was not willing to divulge anything else beyond the mere basics, and even the Dragon of the West was having difficulty reconstructing what might have happened. 'Trust me, Uncle,' he simply said.

"I don't know, Uncle. We are two days away from the winter solstice. That _can't_ change. The Avatar will want to contact his previous incarnation, and he needs to do that at the Fire Temple. We need to get there before Zhao does." Zuko moved the grey marker that represented the ship to the Fire Temple. Iroh was silent for a moment, tugging at his beard.

"We would not survive an attempt to run the blockade, Prince Zuko, not unless Zhao allowed us to pass. You are banished, and he has a grudge." Zuko groaned, putting his head in his hands. That was exactly what Zhao had done the first time, grudge or no grudge, but only because Zuko was hot on the Avatar's heels and was going to be easy to follow. If he tried to run the blockade without Aang braving it in front of him there was no way Zhao would let him pass. It would only result in a crippled ship, and maybe a fight with an appreciable fraction of the Fire Navy.

Zuko ran a hand through his growing hair. It still wasn't as long as it was, but at least he didn't look mostly bald anymore. Pulling off the ceremonial band holding his ponytail in place, Zuko shook his head to settle his hair into the position he had adopted during his time in the Earth Kingdom. Iroh only response was looking a little sad. His nephew might deny it, but it seemed like every day he severed himself from a Fire Nation custom. Removing what should eventually become a top knot was a major step, and one that would not go unnoticed.

"Could we go around the blockade, Uncle? We have two days." Zuko pointed at their current position then sketched a rough path round the blockade. The Fire Navy had massive amounts of warships, and the blockade did extend round the east coast of the Fire Nation, but not nearly in the density of Zhao's command, which was right between the major Earth Kingdom naval bases and the Fire Nation heartland.

Iroh looked down at the map, silent for a moment while the mind of a superb tactician calculated distances, speeds, detection, and a thousand other variables. When he spoke, it was slowly, and very carefully. There could be no misconceptions.

"It _may_ be possible to slip through a weaker area of the blockade, near the northern tip of the Fire Nation. In that area there are ships maybe several miles apart keeping watch, and we may be able to slip through under the cover of darkness." Zuko pondered this for a moment, then swept all the markers of where Aang was and might be off the map with one movement of his arm, sending them scattering over onto the rest of the table. Picking one out, Zuko put it down onto the Fire Temple with an air of finality.

"Set the required course. We will find the Avatar at Crescent Island." Smiling with no real mirth, Zuko turned and walked out of the control room, leaving Iroh staring down at the marker. It sat right in the middle of Fire Nation waters, motionless as the stone it was carved from, having no idea of the importance it suddenly possessed.

* * *

Night had fallen, and Zuko stood at the prow, looking through the spyglass at the golden lights of the Fire Navy warship which sat at full stop, guarding the waters of the Fire Nation. Lowering the spyglass for a moment, Zuko shifted his attention to the starboard side and raised the spyglass, the glittering lights again greeting him. Iroh was standing behind him, and Zuko offered the spyglass over his shoulder, and it was taken.

"Two ships, three hundred and thirty degrees and thirty five degrees off the bow. Both equipped with four catapults." There was a pause as Iroh raised the spyglass to get a better look. The lights of both were clearly visible, but the danger only became apparent when looking more closely.

"Much larger than us as well, Zuko," Iroh calmly observed, the spyglass still fixated firmly on the first ship. Growling softly, Zuko grabbed the spyglass back.

"Yes Uncle, thank you. I didn't know that." Letting out a deep breath, Zuko pondered what he should do, only to be interrupted again

"Not a problem, Zuko. These things are sometimes difficult to see." Zuko slowly turned and looked back at Iroh suspiciously, but no trace of humour was apparent. Turning back equally slowly, Zuko decided to ignore what he just heard and concentrate on the ships, again raising the spyglass. Switching back between the ships, comparing them, Zuko missed his uncle's soft smile.

"They haven't spotted us yet, and I don't think they will as long as we keep the lights off. The wake is another matter. If we move too quickly, they will spot us. If we move too slowly, they might spot us by chance." Iroh looked surprised. He wasn't aware Zuko knew such about nautical affairs.

"On the other hand, nephew, this is a stretch of water where practically nothing happens. Provided we avoid anything too obvious I don't think they will spot us." Zuko slowly nodded, lowering the spyglass, hands tightening round it.

"Inform helm to proceed at one third." Zuko smiled, actually genuinely this time, though there was tension in it. "We might just make it." Iroh nodded and retreated into the main tower, and around a minute later Zuko felt a slight rumble under his feet as the engines started, a wisp of black smoke rising from the main stack as the twin propellers gently chopped through the water.

The lights began to inch closer, and Zuko's gut felt like it had just been punched for a second until he realised that there was no screaming fireballs arcing out towards the ship, and that one-third was just a bit faster than he realised. Letting out a shaky breath, Zuko settled into a more comfortable position and watched as the black sea rippled round the prow.

It took time. Despite the speed they were going at, it took a lot longer than he expected. The tensest moment had come when the smaller ship had drawn level with the other two, larger vessels. Although they had at least half a mile on either side, Zuko was painfully aware that it took only one crewman on either ship who was particularly aware, or any sentry doing his job with more than usual dedication.

He took some comfort in the idea that since this was a rather unimportant area of ocean and after maybe a month out in the middle of nowhere the sentries would not be particularly expecting any Earth Kingdom ships to be sailing over the horizon any second. Still, the best way to describe how Zuko was feeling would be anxious.

But as the lights slowly got left behind, he began to relax. The worse was out of the way, they didn't seem to have been spotted, and it was unlikely they would be spotted. He could relax. It took a great deal of self control…or maybe just courage, but Zuko turned went back inside, pausing for a moment to look out into the night. He needed some sleep.

* * *

"Land sighted!" The cry rang round lower decks like a call to arms, and Zuko sat up in bed as quickly as if that was the case. They were there. They hadn't been killed. They hadn't been spotted. This was the first time since the Water Tribe village that he had an advantage. He intended to use it.

Throwing on an outer robe, Zuko rushed out onto deck, the fabric billowing around him. The rising sun confirmed his greatest hope. They were _hours_ early. He was greeted by a sight he had seen before, but seemed infinitely more spectacular in the rising sun. The craggy rocks of the island seemed to embrace the ship in a massive bay, great arms reaching out and curling around in the shape of a crescent moon. No guesses as to why they called it Crescent Island.

But in the centre was what truly took Zuko's breath away. The rising sun just peaked above the slope of the volcano which rose high above the rest of the island, the light spreading out in bright, dusty rays which danced across the molten, glowing lava. The burning magma flowed down the seemingly impossibly steep slope of the volcano in brilliant until it hit the stone causeway which led from a small sheltered cove up to the Fire Temple.

There the lava oozed underneath the arches of the causeway, flowing thickly down the side of a cliff and into the water, where it sent up a steady curtain of steam, the lava turning black and hardening. Zuko turned his attention back to the cove as the ship steadily steamed into the sheltered water, the waves visibly lowering in height to merely lap against the shore. The causeway began at the very edge, and led all the way up to the temple, the multi-tiered tower seeming insignificant against the side of the volcano.

"Make a stop close to the shore; I'll make my way up to the temple. Then move round into a less exposed location and wait. We may have to make a quick escape." Zuko turned to enter the tower and the lower decks, but found Iroh in the way. He had a serious look on his face.

"Alone, nephew?" Zuko nodded.

"This is something I have to do alone, uncle. Don't worry. I'm sure we will have _plenty_ of time together later." Zuko couldn't help but smile wryly at that. Oh yes, plenty of time. Iroh hadn't missed the emphasis or the smile.

"Something I should know, Zuko?" Zuko didn't stop smiling, but there was an edge to his voice when he spoke, pausing at the hatch to the inside.

"No, not really, Uncle." With that, Zuko entered the ship to get ready. Zhao might use his brain for once and figure out where the Avatar was going, or even just plot a general course and follow. If there was one thing this journey had taught him it was that there were no guarantees things would go the same way. He had to be ready.

**Requiem of Solance – Well I'm glad you like the way this is going. I aim to please. .**

**TwilightG – Well the waiting is over! Heh. It was a nice review to read though.**

**TwilightG – What I just said there. Yup.  
**

**TwilightG – I'm glad I seem to have updated twice before you got on again. I always find it a thrill when I find stories I'm reading have been updated more than once.  
**

**superkawaiifoxy – I'm glad you thought it worked out for the best – the fifth chapter where Zuko reveals it all felt a bit forced to me, but now we can put that behind and get back to the fun!**

**Daveshan – I originally considered doing just that, but then I realised that Iroh is one tough cookie and when he gets riled up you don't get away with just saying 'trust me'. Still, I agree that was probably my weakest chapter. The betrothal necklace WILL make an appearance!  
**

**Michelle – Well I could talk all about the physics of time travel and why it isn't prohibited by our current understanding. But if I went into that I would have to make a last minute twist to make it fit. Lets just stick with dramatic license. Much easier for everyone.  
**

**Bluetiger – I personally thought it wasn't a very original concept, but as long as I carry it out even roughly as I envision it I think I can live with myself. Lets hope, eh?**

**Midnightoasis – Well, we have to see. Trust me, I don't actually know yet!  
**

**pez is tasty – Despite my doubts about this chapter, I'm glad someone likes it! I think I did Iroh justice, but not Zuko. Guess you can't have it all. Still, I'm really pleased to hear you enjoyed it! I can assure you that Jin WILL make an appearance. I'm not sure about Song though.**

**.ME – I can't promise that speed anymore, but I will try to update regularly.  
**

**Liooness – That's right…I must be right. is surprised to have won that As you can see the episode being done here is Winter Solstice.**


	7. Waiting

**Its been a while, but thanks to a new week of school work and a horrible cold, I have an excuse. Heh. But seriously, I could have written more, its just I'm barely on top of work as it is! I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

**PS: Happy 1000 hits! (Interestingly more people have read the last chapter than the one before it.)**

* * *

Zuko walked up the stone causeway towards the temple at a brisk pace, feeling a little worried. He had a few hours before Aang was due to appear, but he also had a few hours in which to either dodge or explain himself to the Fire Sages. Dodging would be the most obvious choice; a stealthy wait just outside the sanctuary might be his best bet. Unfortunately he wasn't sure he could remember the way. Not to mention that if he _was_ found it would be very difficult to explain, and would no doubt lead to...complications. They could have seen him coming up towards the temple anyway, or the ship letting him off.

On the other hand, explaining himself could be just as excruciating. The Fire Sages dealt with the matter of royal succession: his banishment wasn't going to gone unnoticed. They had barely tolerated his presence the first time because the Avatar had been gallivanting about upstairs and trying to contact Roku, which was far less preferable to the moral satisfaction they would get from ejecting the wayward prince ass-first from the temple. In this case they had nothing to gain but the moral satisfaction, which was something of a stumbling block for Zuko. If he didn't get into the temple the only advantage he would gain would be the _possibility_ that Zhao wouldn't show up.

Once again, Zuko was uncomfortable reminded of his uncle's words under Lake Laogai, chastising him for not planning ahead. Zuko had to admit that the idea of breaking into the secret headquarters of the Dai Li and freeing a massive flying animal without giving the slightest consideration to plan ahead had been...poor strategy. This case was not quite so drastic, but it still demonstrated he hadn't entirely learned his lesson. If there was one thing Zuko was reminded of whenever he made a mistake because of a lack of planning it was that Uncle would always be better at this than he ever could hope to be. The worse thing was he hadn't actually decided which option he was going with yet.

One of the paving stones shifted under his boot and Zuko shifted his weight to his other leg. When walking over a river of lava the last thing you wanted to do was blithely trust anything that actually shifts beneath your feet. But that feeling of insecurity wasn't the worse thing, it was the heat. It wasn't the warm, cloying heat from candles or fire in a closed room, or the crackling wall of dry heat from a campfire. It was nothing even similar to the comforting warmth of Firebending and the rush of euphoria that came with it. It was the kind of heat that was inescapable and did nothing to hide that it was brutal. It didn't worm under clothing in an uncomfortably warm caress like any other heat Zuko had felt. It pushed through the cloth crushed the air from lungs unfortunate enough to breathe it.

Trying not to let the soft bubbling of the lava and all pervasive heat bother him, Zuko increased his pace, feeling a shadow of fear worm round his heart. He didn't like being round it. This wasn't the sort of fire he could control. It was too raw, too powerful, and he would be a fool to try it. It was probably why Avatar Roku had decided to build his temple here in the first place; it was close to the most powerful expression of fire in nature. As Zuko approached the entrance of the temple, he couldn't he but silently admire the long dead Avatar. He might not have been big on foresight, but he knew how to the build. The temple was a work of art by itself, and being bathed in the soft red glow of lava somehow made it beautiful.

Finely cut steps of black marble surrounded the entrance of the multi-tiered tower, all focusing on the comparatively small entrance, overshadowed by a great overhand that flared out like tongues of flame, the underside painted a bright orange and the edges in a deep red. The pillars holding up the overextended overhang were a soft grey, with their bases banded in a lustrous gold. Zuko hadn't stopped to appreciate it the first time, and he probably didn't have the taste required to fully understand and enjoy the artistry of the temple. But nonetheless, it gave Zuko a rather impressed feeling. It was a perfect example of what Fire Nation architecture was all about.

Carefully looking to the left and right as he climbed the steps, Zuko momentarily considered fighting his way through. It seemed to be an option more and more. He had the skills, why not use them? It was a seductive idea, if only to prove he could. Against five elderly Fire Sages he could do it...but again, he didn't want to change too much. It was becoming a pain, this constant second-guessing and tip-toeing around the quickest and easiest solutions. The only question was if he wanted to talk or sneak round. Resisting the urge to smirk a little, Zuko hugged the wall and slipped through the door. If only he had his mask on...

Despite pleasant and nostalgic of happier and more dangerous times as the Blue Spirit, Zuko couldn't help but pause for a moment as he entered the main chamber. The roof seemed ridiculously high up in the tower, and he was quick to realise that there were not as many floor as he had originally assumed, just two. The secret passage must be concealed inside the walls. The only problem was finding out the way on his own, he had been running after one of the Fire Sages at breakneck speed at the time.

It was at that moment that he heard voices echoing down the west passage in the main chamber. They were distant, but footsteps were rapidly approaching. Throwing his head around, the banished prince dashed down the opposite direction and through the east doorway and into the corridors, pressing his back to the wall. The sounds coalesced into recognisable voices, and Zuko strained to hear them.

"…hip in the cove." The voice was low, gravely…and elderly. Zuko only knew one of the Fire Sages by name, and that was Shyu. And judging by the tone and sound of those voices neither of the pair approaching the prince was the sympathetic Fire Sage.

"Too small to be a detachment from Commander Zhao."

"Pirates?" Zuko stiffened. If they sent a hawk, and there was a naval post in the area he didn't know about…

"We have nothing of value save a few artefacts. I see no reason for them to be here." There was a moments pause, as if the superior of the two was contemplating something.

"I see no reason to take action unless we are threatened. We will send a hawk reporting the sighting after the winter solstice ceremonies." Zuko breathed a sigh of relief and began to creep down a side-corridor. Best to put as much distance between him and the Fire Sages as possible.

Now it was just a matter of finding the secret passage. He could remember it was triggered by a fireburst through a hidden hole concealed behind a lamp, somewhere at the dead end of one of the corridors. The only matter was _finding _it. He wasn't concerned about time, he could afford to check all the lamps at dead ends for the hole, but the longer he took and the further he had to go meant there was a greater chance of detection. Shaking his head, Zuko began to move down the nearest passage.

It took longer than Zuko liked, and his anxiety grew with every moment. He wasn't sure how much time it took, but he was willing to wager over an hour. But he didn't stop looking, and after what seemed like at least a dozen dead ends and three close encounters with the Fire Sages, Zuko finally found the right lamp.

Pulling it aside, Zuko pressed his palm against the hole, expelling a fast and abrupt breath through his nose in time with a fireburst. The flame seemed outline the boundaries of the door for a moment before the entire wall slid inwards with the scrape of stone on stone, then stopped and slid to the side. Zuko turned his face away as a rush of heat burst from the opening.

Directing the worse of the heat away from himself with his Firebending, Zuko struggled up past the beginning of the stairs, at which point the temperature eased considerably. Relaxing, he began the long climb. He had an ambush to set, and one he couldn't afford to get wrong.

It was a long wait. More than once Zuko wished he had some sort time keeping equipment on him, because knowing what should happen was just making him more and more tense. He couldn't hear anything from his position behind the pillar, or anywhere else in the room just before the sanctuary doors. For all he knew there could be a firefight erupting downstairs any second.

Zuko took another moment to admire the doors. While the outside of the temple was impressive, the inside was hardly so lavishly decorated. The doors to the sanctuary were practically the only bit that matched the awe inspiring factor of the outside. The mouths were the only thing that surprised Zuko. He would have expected dragons, but instead they seemed like deformed tiger-lions. The fire mouths all had long, steel necks which spiralled inwards to a dull gem in the centre, with three golden tongues of flame decorating it like the petals of a flower.

Supposedly it took an Avatar at the height of his power to open the door all by himself. That didn't surprise Zuko, but the level of control required to send out five concentrated fireblasts all separate from each other was phenomenal. He couldn't see Aang doing it, even with his natural affinity for all the elements. It was at that moment that voices filtered up through the entrance to the room. One of the Fire Sages and…Aang?

Zuko began to climb up the coils of the decorative stone dragon integrated into the pillar he was hiding behind and reached as high as he could go before Sokka, Katara, Aang and Shyu even appeared. Slipping round the pillar so he had the thick stone between him and the gang, Zuko took a deep but quiet breath. Time to hide until the Fire Sages arrived. He just wished there was somewhere else to hide in the chamber.

The renegade Fire Sage quickly explained what Zuko already knew: the doors were closed and required a fully realised to open alone. It made Zuko wonder what the explosion that brought all the Fire Sages and himself included running up was. That was when Sokka had his idea. Zuko listened with increasing amusement as the young Water Tribe warrior explained his 'fake firebending', pouring the lamp fuel into the bags and preparing the fuse. Still, it was ingenious, and definitely had that Sokka feel Zuko had learned to expect.

It was definitely making the prince uncomfortable that Sokka was crouched just the other side of the pillar, less than a short leap away from Zuko. Just one look up, one little slip would be enough to give him away, and that would require some very quick improvisation. He wasn't going to surrender, oh no. But he couldn't afford to reveal himself until the Fire Sages appeared and opened the door, or Aang may never meet Roku in time to learn…whatever it was he had to learn.

Events proceeded quickly, and Zuko began to tense as the critical moments approached. Sokka's plan failed, but it looked like it had, so they stuffed Momo through the door via one of the mouths. It seemed a bit cruel to Zuko, but it certainly worked. When the Fire Sages ran up they were far too busy to see Zuko hiding, or Aang. Both had managed to remain concealed from the other…a feat of comedic difficulty, since Zuko had only a little pillar and inattentiveness to hide himself with, while Aang could hide where he chose.

The roar of fireblasts filled the air and the scraping of metal announced the opening of the door. The Fire Sages were promptly ambushed, and Aang leapt through the door as it closed again. He was through. The tables promptly turned though as the Fire Sages retaliated, bringing Shyu under control, which was the only real threat, then holding Sokka and Katara. Zuko smirked a little. Showtime.

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**Kitty Kyinsky – I'll say the same thing as always: thanks! Its great that people enjoy the story, and its why I write! If people don't like it, whats the point of continuing? **

**TwilightG – Here ya go.  
**

**Sunder the Gold – Its what I originally considered doing, but then I realised that doing that would take this waay too far into AU territory for me to go safely. How can I anticipate how Sokka and Katara will react? Aang would trust him, but I can't chart the actions of the others. I'm not sure whether Aang would even be the same if Zuko travelled with them from the start.  
**

**Bluetiger – The rethink is mainly what makes me go slowly and even stop at points, catch myself and say 'is that really the best idea?' If it doesn't go exactly the same way, which is the premise of the story…why should Zuko take the same route?**

**TwilightG – I'm personally not sure whether the final attack will just be pulled off successfully, not successfully, or completely differently. You can never tell! I just wish I could get to Toph. Hmph.**

**SwordsMagician – I'm trying to keep the edge of the younger, more head strong Zuko conflicting with the older (though I wouldn't say wiser!) Zuko, who would rather the war just be **_**over**_**, and that impulse to go the fast way is going to be a constant struggle. You can be assured that urge is going to bite him at some point.**

**Kai Dragoon – The thing with time travel is that it naturally fascinates. It's the 'what if' factor that haunts us and makes us wonder all the time. The great thing about stories is you can do it!**

**Tege – Hey, good point, I didn't think about the long-term effects of Suki! That totally has to get worked in at some point now. Will Azula be able to get into Ba Sing Se without it? Will Ba Sing Se even FALL? It's a good thought…but the question is whether Aang went to Kyoshi, or the villagers were lying to Zuko…hmm… PS: Guess you aren't amazed at the update speed now!**

**ME – Well, subtle humour is pretty fun. :P**

**musiclover9419 – Thanks, I'll try!  
**

**daveshan – Personally I'm just going laugh my butt off writing the 'I'll save you from the pirates scene' of Zutara legend. Of course, this isn't a Zutara story…and the Blue Spirit hasn't happened yet!**

**Liooness –I'll keep going as long as I can…so keep reading!**

**Superkawaiifoxy- The Fire Temple…pretty, isn't it?  
**


	8. Roku

**I'll be honest, I really could have updated this sooner. The main reason for my delay is simple: I had a reasonably good idea of what I wanted to do for the The Boy in the Iceberg, but I'm really winging it for the Winter Solstice. It has become rapidly obvious to me that I'm not going to be finishing this any time soon. But to make up you can all have cookies and this extra-long chapter.**

**Obviously every episode can't be covered (like the Warriors of Kyoshi) but unless otherwise stated you can assume that Aang and the gang went everywhere they did the first time and Zuko was either too late to catch them or wasn't actually involved. Some things won't happen the same way, and if they don't you can be sure you will know about it.**

**The next chapter, the Pirates then the Blue Spirit, will not be as long and likely interludes(probably) because of the more Zuko-lite content of the episodes. Still, I'll try to make it fun, and if I watch them and get inspired, you never know! So enjoy the final chapter of…deep announcer voice the Winter Solstice!**

**PS: Yay 2000 hits and longest update yet!**

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Zuko slid down the pillar as quietly as possible, and the telltale rasp of fabric as it dragged down was obscured by the general resistance of the Water Tribe siblings and Shyu as the chain was wrapped round the pillar they were pressed against, the thick links making them look tiny in comparison. Frowning, Zuko leaned round the pillar just enough to see one of the Fire Sages putting away the remaining chain in an alcove.

The chain had to be for the internal mechanism of the door, Zuko realised. It looked pretty heavy, and with the other Fire Sages crowded round the door to the sanctuary it seemed that he wouldn't get a better chance than this at his…plan. Stepping out from behind the pillar and approaching the sanctuary doors, Zuko counted his steps. One. Two. Three. Fo-

"Hey, you! What are you doing here?" Zuko stopped in his tracks as the rest of the Fire Sages turned towards him, the other one finishing with the chain and gathering together between him and the doors, as if they were protecting it like a guilty secret. Zuko smiled, bringing back memories of the Western Air Temple as he brought up his right hand in a little wave.

"Hey. Zuko here." The Fire Sages relaxed slightly until Zuko threw a vicious fireblast at the nearest Sage, the attack more like a jet than a fireball. The Sage cried out in fear, his arms coming up to dissipate or block the attack. It worked at first, the fire conforming and radiating outwards in harmless tongues of flame under his command, but Zuko was stronger, and in the end the Sage just didn't have either the strength or skill required to spread the flame out enough to diffuse the attack.

One thing was for sure, none of the Fire Sages were an Azula, or an Ozai. Compared to the Fire Lord and his heir the old men were a leisurely walk by the turtle-duck pond for Zuko. The other three Fire Sages had dropped in attack stances as their compatriot was sent flying, the front of his robes scorched black as he smacked into the door and slumped to the ground, clearly out of the fight.

As three fireblasts whooshed towards him, Zuko reacted instantly and brought his hands together, catching the flames then spreading his hands apart, going almost to the floor as he slid his right leg downwards in a spreading manoeuvre not unlike Ty Lee. The flames were unable to sustain themselves and harmlessly vanished into thin air as Zuko took the offensive.

Shifting his weight to his right and lower foot, Zuko levered himself upwards and brought a circular kick around, sending a wave of flames at the Sages, them smoothly shifted his weight onto his landing right foot and sent a jet of concentrated fire straight at the outermost Fire Sage with the sole of his left.

Disoriented by the fire attack, there was no way the Sage could defend himself as he met a similar fate to his other companion, colliding with the door with a similar ringing round and identical scorch marks. The remaining two Sages attacked with two quick bursts of fire, the first of which Zuko simply dodged by leaning and brushing the fire away from his centre with the back of his hands, and the second of which by forcibly stopping them and ripping the flame apart like opening a pair of curtains.

Jumping in between the two Sages, Zuko drove his elbow into the temple of the one to his right, the elder letting out a muted oomph and crumpling to the ground in a heap. The last Fire Sage struck out with a fireblast, but Zuko grabbed his wrist and pushed his arm upwards, and the flame simply faded before it even left his fist.

Wrapping the arm in his and swinging the Sage off balance, Zuko let go and watched him stumble away, then danced forward a step and delivered a palm strike to the back of the fleeing Sage's skull, the man jerking forward and hitting the floor without a sound. Exhaling sharply, Zuko turned to look at the three captives chained to the pillar, then ignored them.

The slack-jawed look on Sokka's face had been well worth it, though he considered that attacking what amounted to the spiritual icons of the Fire Nation may come back to bite him. He turned to the sanctuary doors and waited. The light shifted as the sun perfectly aligned with a slanted hole in the wall facing the doors. The solstice had begun.

Although he had his eyes closed, silently meditating on what could be the coming confrontation with an angry Avatar Roku, Zuko didn't miss the whispered conversation from behind him.

"Why doesn't he release us?" A hissed, low voice belonging to Shyu.

"He's hunting Aang, the jerk wants him for 'the glory of the Fire Nation'." Zuko couldn't help but smile at the open exaggeration of Sokka's tone. He rather liked it. It reminded him of better times. Although the glory of the Fire Nation was the furthest thing from Zuko's mind at the time, more the restoration of his honour.

It had surprised Zuko that Sokka was the first person in the gang who really accepted him. Male bonding and all. The prison break had probably helped, but he was already fairly friendly. Toph didn't really count, she hadn't known him before from when he was…obsessed.

"But that's Prince Zuko," Shyu said with something approaching naïve hope. "He was exiled from the Fire Nation years ago!" Zuko stiffened, a flicker of anger sparking deep in his soul. He should have shrugged it off, he could have shrugged it off. He had taken far worse from all of the gang after he joined them. Maybe it was his old personality, maybe it was just all the adrenaline from the fight with the Fire Sages, but Zuko snapped.

Whirling around with a cry, Zuko sent a fireblast straight into the floor by the captives, the flame bursting outwards in a concentrated but intimidating disc. The flames licked up for a second before dissipating and-_he looked towards Azula, fists raised and in an offensive attack position as he approached his sister. She shot him a venomous look, reminding him of what she could do, her expression seemingly carved from stone. _

_Showing no outward signs of emotion, Zuko turned towards the Avatar, the young boy also looking at him, but with no sign of emotion beyond a slightly worried curiosity. Zuko tensed imperceptibly and Aang sensed it, his expression turning to surprise. That moment of distraction, the vulnerability…it was all Zuko had been trained to take advantage of, and the moment he had been wishing for ever since the hunt began. Without a cause he was without focus, and his mouth was opening in a small cry and his fists threw flame before he could even think. The focus suddenly came back, that all consuming drive that he had lacked in Ba Sing Se roaring through his blood like adrenaline. He had a fight to win, and he would win it._

Zuko stared at the three captives as they shied away from the flames, Katara's short cry of alarm breaking him out from the reverie. The flame burnt out before any harm was done, but she was looking at him with an expression of naked fear, and Zuko couldn't help but feel some of that same fear gripping his heart. What was he doing?

Turning away, fists clenched, Zuko forced a hissing breath through his teeth. He couldn't show weakness, not in front of them, not in front of anybody. But the way they had looked at him, the thought that he was a monster dancing behind that terror…

"Don't…I am still of the Fire Nation, and my honour will be restored." Zuko hadn't meant to say it the way he did, but he couldn't bear to say his father would restore his honour. His father couldn't do that, only take it away from him through deceit and manipulation. He supposed what he said was still true.

There was no more talk after that, not even from Sokka, who no doubt wished to ask a thousand questions to his fellow prisoners. So Zuko waited in silence, and no matter how much he wanted them to, no strategies or thoughts would cross his mind, as if they feared him as well. Zuko laughed bitterly just as the doors began to screech open with sound of metal against metal.

In the darkness of the sanctuary there was no light except two glowing eyes. The Avatar State was waiting for him. The doors fully opened and rays of light bathed the tall figure in light, the faint blue glow of the spirit a kinder contrast to the blazing white light emanating from the eyes of Avatar Roku like power incarnate.

Zuko stood in awe, his stance slackening as he stared at his ancestor, his great grandfather. The robe of the long-dead Avatar fluttered about him in an unseen and gentle breeze, the currents of the Spirit World tugging at Roku as he stood there looking at the Fire Prince. He was exactly as Zuko imagined him, and the young firebender couldn't help but look upwards to the crown sitting on Roku's topknot. The crown sitting in Zuko's desk.

Zuko wasn't sure what happened even later, but when his gaze passed down across the blazing glow of the Avatar Spirit his muscles moved themselves. Fire erupted from Zuko's hands straight at Roku, who caught it just like Zuko remembered, the fire swelling outwards in a great sphere, then inwards to tiny orb of light where the Avatar cradled it before splaying his hands outwards.

The fire followed the movement, expanding in a wave even Zuko couldn't match. Crying out in fear, Zuko tried to block the oncoming wave, but his movements and shield had no effect, the fire rushing towards him, across him, and…moving on harmlessly. Zuko turned in amazement as the flames superheated the chains holding Katara, Sokka and Shyu bound to the pillar without causing any harm to the captives, the thick links simply disintegrating into thin air.

The wave continued, rushing outwards towards the stairs into the chamber, where it caught Zhao full force as he climbed the last step, flanked by his firebenders. The flame rushed over Zhao the same way it had Zuko, but in the case of the Fire Navy commander it seemed to yank him after it, sending him falling back down the stairs with a cry.

Zuko crouched down and shielded himself as the wave hit the opposite wall, the muted explosion driving rubble outwards into thin air and bombarding Zuko with miniscule pebbles. Hearing Sokka shout in the background, he looked up towards the vengeful Roku and rolled out of the way as the Avatar thrust his hand downwards, the floor seemingly melting away.

Zuko felt his heart leap into his throat as he rolled to a crouch and launched into a run. Roku twisted his hand and seemingly dragged something upwards, lava bursting up through the floor and out the ceiling, rubble falling downwards and missing the fleeing prince by inches. It was too dangerous to be here right now. Reaching the top of the stairs, Zuko looked down with an inscrutable expression.

Zhao had since fled, and Zuko turned to look about the room. It seemed the Fire Sages had done the same, probably while Zuko was distracted by Roku, and it looked like they took Shyu with them while everybody was distracted. But they had escaped in time, while Zuko hadn't. The stairs were blocked by a gently undulating pool of lava, the heat warning him that this wasn't a matter of spirits like the wave of fire had been. If he touched the molten rock he was as good as dead.

Putting up his arm over his eyes to shield them from the sudden dust cloud, Zuko turned towards where all the wind was coming from, the dust swirling round the glowing form of Roku and completely obscuring him, then dissipating and leaving a shell shocked Aang behind. Katara instantly ran over and supported the disoriented monk, and quickly helping him towards the stairs.

She had a guarded expression as she saw Zuko standing there, seemingly having lost track of him during the chaos. Zuko turned his heat to look down at glowing lava, then back at Katara. The tunnels had been carved out of rock, so it wasn't as if the danger was going to drain away out of a collapsed wall.

"You aren't getting out that way." Katara just stared at him, and Aang was looking at the firebender through slightly drowsy eyes. What he was thinking Zuko couldn't guess. He half expected Katara to shoot back a venomous comment, and was forced to remind himself that she was not the person he remembered, not yet.

Aang struggled for balance as the temple suddenly shifted, beginning to tilt while it collapsed, and Zuko turned towards the hole in the wall as the ground became visible in what had previously been an unobstructed view of sky. Aang immediately brightened as he saw what was coming towards them.

"Appa!" The giant bison roared, led by the flying lemur, which had what looked suspiciously like the hat of the head Fire Sage almost smothering its head and let out a squeak of its own, hovering by the collapsed wall. Appa manoeuvred to the side of the temple, facing it side on as he waited for the gang to board. Zuko realised it was his only way out, and followed after the gang. Sokka and Katara jumped on, followed by a graceful and slow decent by Aang, who grabbed the reins.

Zuko leapt from the collapsing temple floor with a cry and almost missed, just grabbing onto the side of the saddle. It was a difficult position, and try as he might the firebender couldn't get a better hold. He faintly heard Sokka's yell in the background as he began to swing from side to side.

"Get him off!" Zuko gritted his teeth, swinging in increasingly large sweeps, the grip becoming more and more difficult to hold, especially with somebody prying at his fingers trying to dislodge them. Just as he felt his grip going, Zuko swung up the side and slid behind Aang, grabbing the monk across his chest both to stop himself going straight over the other side and for control.

There was a chorus of warnings as he swung behind the Avatar, but it was too late, and Zuko forced Appa downwards with a gentle pressure while he crushed Aang to his chest, one hand outstretched towards the back of the saddle to make sure Katara and Sokka weren't trying anything stupid.

As Appa cruised above the causeway away from the rapidly collapsing temple, Zuko took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and fell off, pulling Aang with him. He felt like they hung in mid-air for a second, then the ground hit, Zuko losing his grip on the Avatar as they rolled to a stop, both groaning. Shaking his head to focus, Zuko rose at roughly the same time as the Airbender, both facing each other across the causeway. In the distance, Zuko saw Appa sweep around erratically. It seemed the siblings were having difficulty controlling him.

Aang had that expression that Zuko had grown used to remembering rather than seeing, the sort of guarded wariness the monk always wore in place of hostility. Zuko stood there for a moment facing him, then shot a thin bolt of flame out of his index and forefinger at the Airbender, pleasantly reminded of how he lit the Firelight Fountain or when he severed the bow string of the Yu Yan Archer with the Rough Rhinos.

Aang panicked with that sort of uncoordinated defence that Zuko remembered so well from their first few confrontations, sweeps of air batting at the laughably small dart of flame until it was knocked away. He had an accusatory look on his face.

"I thought you said you were on my side!" It was yell, but there wasn't any echo of betrayal in it. Zuko hadn't proved he was on their side, only said it. Shifting into a firmer stance, Zuko replied.

"I am. But you need to learn." With that said, he threw a much larger fireblast aimed squarely at Aang, who threw up his hands and swept it away with a far stronger gust of air than he needed, arms flailing. Zuko began to circle, intentionally closing the distance between them. Circling was natural to an airbender, and he could use that to his advantage.

"Control, Avatar. No more than you need." Aang looked confused, and when Zuko attacked again with a weaker fireblast the air swept it away again without any change. Zuko narrowed his eyes, but not from irritation. He had to rethink his strategy.

"If you don't use less air," Zuko warned threateningly, "I'm going to make sure you need to use _all_ of it." Aang swallowed faintly, and when Zuko threw the next blast the block was weaker, but still more than enough.

"Weaker." Zuko threw another blast, and this time the sweep away was about the right strength. Pausing for a second, Zuko was considering his next move when Aang attacked. The blast of air was enough to knock Zuko straight into the air, and the firebender twisted his body, flames rippling from his hands as it burst outwards to push it away, conforming to the shape of the sweep of air.

Zuko couldn't help but letting out a delighted laugh, surprised at how much of himself was actually enjoying this. It reminded him of when he was first teaching Aang, but this was still a completely different experience. Zuko threw two blasts in quick succession, and the sweeps of air were about the right strength, but panic had leant them extra oomph. Aang learnt fast, but Zuko already knew that.

"Keep calm, Avatar. Firebenders work best over distance, while air loses its strength. Get in close!" Zuko twirled into an elaborate series of kicks and punches, flames licking outwards with an elegance he couldn't afford to use with Azula, but it was another pleasant experience.

Aang was moving closer, each sweep of air that knocked away flames opening a small channel of calm between him and Zuko, which he used to jump in closer, crouching and side-stepping to dodge any danger that the prince threw at him. Within half a minute Aang had got in almost close enough to touch, and the fight become much quicker.

Zuko and Aang ended up roughly back to back, turning in the same direction with varying speeds as they threw flames and air at each other, the battle reaching fever pitch as Zuko caught Appa approaching in the corner of his eye. Zuko turned as quick as he could, catching Aang's wrists and stepping in closer than he could attack with anything else. Zuko felt a darker impulse suggest itself, and batted away even the idea.

"Good, but you need practice. Airbending for fun isn't the same as fighting. Now, you need to escape. I'm going to let go of one wrist. Hit me in the chest, and try not to push me in the lava." Aang was looking up at him with those soulful gray eyes as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of him, but gave him a tentative smile. Zuko gave him a soft smile back, leaning into whisper as Appa came too close for conversation.

"Remember, don't tell them." In truth, Zuko had only slackened his grip slightly when Aang acted, driving a palm into Zuko's stomach along with a gust of air quicker than the prince could prepare himself. Losing his grip, Zuko flew backwards and rolled across the causeway, stopping close to one edge, all air driven from his lungs.

Sitting up with a groan, he watched as Aang jumped onto Appa and fled, his cheerful cry of 'yip yip' ringing as the flying bison soared into the distance. Sighing and clutching his stomach, Zuko took a deep breath and began to run down the causeway towards the cove.

It took several minutes until he splashed into the shallows, seeing three Fire Navy warships receding into the distance. Apparently Zhao was more interested in chasing the Avatar than a banished prince who may already have escaped or maybe even have been in the temple while it collapsed.

The water was pleasantly warm, no doubt thanks to the volcano constantly dumping lava into the sea nearby, and Zuko caught himself enjoying it. He had to either wait for the ship to come back for him or go looking. Since he didn't have any transportation, waiting seemed to be the reasonable option.

Sitting in the water, Zuko let the warm water surround him up to his waist, feeling the tide tug at him in a pleasant rhythm. Looking around the cove to help relieve his rapidly rising boredom, Zuko caught a glimpse of something black seemingly tucked out of sight behind some rocks.

Standing up and looking around to check if anybody was around, Zuko carefully made his way over, heart lifting as he recognised the small patrol boat from the ship. They must have left it behind for him. Climbing up and into the small cabin, he noticed what looked like a parchment stuck to the side plating with a globule of wax.

Prying it away, Zuko summoned a small flame in his hand and held it close enough to read in the dimmer light of the cabin. What he saw tore him between irritation and a fond amusement.

_Nephew,_

_Found hot tide pools on other side of island, and have gone to relax. Please come join us if you are able._

_Uncle_

Staring down at the note, Zuko slowly crumpled it up in one fist.

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**The Fairy Princess Lady – Well, I'm sure it isn't too difficult to read the fic in one day. After all, it isn't **_**that**_** long! Though I imagine that by the time I get to season 3 it will past 50k, easily. These are more Zukoish one shots that are interconnected rather than a constant story. **

**IEatChicken – Thanks for the support, it means a lot!**

**PaddysGirl – Every little bit helps. I love it when people who enjoy something write and let the writer know. It really drives you to keep going.**

**ME – I haven't seen the episodes in ages(though I did reference for the descriptions) so I can't promise perfect accuracy. But you can put that down to things being different. One of the major allures of writing a story like this is you can go into what the characters(i.e. Zuko) are actually thinking, which you don't get in the normal show.**

**TwilightG – Yeah, I think we can be sure that if Zuko shows up while Toph is there she is going to smell a rat somewhere. Then again, she doesn't meet Zuko until the Western Air Temple…hm, lets see if the same holds true here.**

**Bluetiger – Ironically enough I forgot to mention what had happened to Shyu in this chapter, but your review reminded me! I'm afraid his fate is the likely the same as it was in the show, along with the rest of the Fire Sages. Zhao has quite a temper, and he really does need someone to blame. I really appreciate you saying you liked the descriptions. I worked really hard on them.**

**Sarloos – If anything gets me working, it's the maniacal laugh! Who knows what you might do if I don't!**

**musiclover9419 – Well, yanno…I aim to please.**

**Lioness – Always great to hear that people want to read more. After all, if nobody read it, what would be the point of anything?**

**MoonlitInuko – I can believe you just found it, considering that at the time of your review it had only been on for about…just under two weeks, and probably only on the first search page twice over those two weeks. Look at it this way, you didn't have to wait for so many updates as the people who started following it from the start! You reminded me to add the note regarding continuity at the top, so thanks!**

**superkawaiifoxy - It was a transaction chapter, so I hope this one is a tad more pleasing for you!**

**Remember the Review Revolution pledge: **_**I, Sayle, do solemnly swear to review all the fics I enjoy, regardless of the number of reviews, its age, or anything else. **_**It's a good pledge, and it encourages new authors and old authors alike. Enjoy!**


	9. Market

**This chapter took a while, mainly because I fear not being able to do this justice. I missed the interaction between Iroh and Zuko that I missed, so I tried to flesh out the beginning to make up for it. Forgive me? Pwease? **

**The main problem is the I really, really want to get to Azula(awesomeness) and Toph(also awesomeness) and Ba Sing Se(super awesomeness). But I have to go through all these other episodes first! Bummer. Anyway, enjoy!**

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Zuko found meditation soothing and comforting. Previously he had used it solely to enhance his firebending, feel the flames outside his body and learn to manipulate them. The candles filled the room with lazy smoke, the wisps meandering across the ceiling. From those candles Zuko could smell the faint edge of fire lilies, which was unusual. From another came what seemed suspiciously like Ginseng. It seemed one of the servants had restocked the latest candles with scented varieties...that or Zuko had accidentally raided Iroh's store.

The latter seemed far more likely, and Zuko focused his thoughts onto his past. It was a rare activity for him – the past was painful in more ways than one. But with the conflicting goals and feelings whirling about inside him like a maelstrom he didn't have much of a choice. Each day he failed to mentally and emotionally order himself he found control over the darker impulses that previously drove him slackening.

During those days he became more irritable, more confrontational. He began slipping, thinking of Aang as an objective rather than a child with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He never allowed himself to again consider capturing him to take him back to the Fire Nation, but each day the suggestion flittered at the edge of his consciousness, whispering seductive promises into his mind. Zuko was rarely scared, but the way he wasn't sure if he knew himself disturbed him deeply.

Even worse, his firebending became less directed and more temperamental. It was impossible to focus with the battle inside him, his attacks driven by a combination of anger and desire for balance. They were incompatible, and fire was rarely forgiving of such turmoil. It flared as he struck out, and control over more advanced techniques was slipping. He had tried to generate lightning again and utterly failed.

The problem was that things were different from when he had changed. It was like leading an addict into the opium den. Perhaps if he was in Ba Sing Se, or the Earth Kingdom, anywhere but his quarters on the Fire Navy ship he called home for almost three years…

But he wasn't in the Earth Kingdom. He wasn't resting in the Western Air Temple. He certainly wasn't quietly serving tea in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. Part of him berated himself for actually enjoying that, screaming that as a prince of the Fire Nation it was beneath him. But it was mostly the darker part of himself, while another, more calm part reminded him that he had enjoyed the new beginning, and it was nothing to be ashamed of. Zuko was sure that on the edge of that part of himself he could hear Iroh's voice.

Meditation could sooth away such differences or force them to a head until he resolved them. The candles flickered as if in a strong wind, almost reflecting the inner chaos that Zuko was slowly resolving with a patience that only meditation could bring out in him. It was a long process, but in the end he always felt refreshed, the same way he had felt when he confronted Ozai, finally telling his father what he thought.

He had understandably tensed up again when the lightning came him way, but that was understandable. That crystal clear moment where everything had made sense and he had been at peace with himself had almost been worth the admittedly foolish choice of confronting the Fire Lord. He didn't have to do it, it gave him no tactical advantage…he would have been better served guiding the Avatar to his father, or perhaps stopping Azula.

His uncle had chastised him for such regrets, and reminded him that it was unhealthy. To reflect and note mistakes was one thing, but to agonise over what might have been was foolish. So Zuko let those thoughts go as well, nudging them into oblivion as another thought came in its place, like subjects approaching the throne of his mind.

But such things were rudely interrupted when Zuko felt the ship sway to the side in an abrupt and rather steep course change hard to port. Amber eyes flared open and candles were swiftly extinguished as Zuko rose and swayed a little as the ship righted itself. Opening the hatch into the corridor, Zuko listened for any shouts or running footsteps that might indicate an emergency, but there was none.

Carefully stepping out into the corridor, he made his way up the stairs, not bothering to grip the handrail. Not many people on ship could order a course change without consulting him, and he had a growing suspicion of just who had. Sure enough, as Zuko climbed onto the bridge, he found his uncle sitting and playing Pai Sho with Lieutenant Jee while another crewman observed and poured the tea.

Iroh turned at the sound of Zuko climbing the last few steps and smiled broadly. Zuko instantly narrowed his eyes. That look meant he probably wasn't going to like what he was about to hear, and he strongly suspected he already knew what his uncle had made the course change for.

"Ah, Prince Zuko. You must be wondering about the course change." Iroh had turned back to his game and made a move while speaking, which Lieutenant Jee was scrutinising. "I have lost something very important: my Lotus Tile. Most consider the Lotus Tile insignificant. But it is the centre of the unusual strategy I employ."

Lieutenant Jee made a move and Iroh instantly moved again, apparently having anticipated the ship commander's tactics. Jee hunched over to stare at the tile Iroh had just moved as if it would reveal some secret inscribed into the colourful insignia that identified it.

"You changed the course of this ship for…" Zuko gritted his teeth. He knew the importance of the tile for his uncle, but it still grated on Zuko's nerves. Instead of exploding, Zuko tried a different tack. "So you lost it. Have you checked in your sleeves, Uncle?" There was a moments pause as Iroh placed his hands in his sleeves and felt about, somehow managing to look sagely at the same time.

Zuko watched him carefully, prowling round to the opposite side of the board and standing over his uncle like a threat. There was a momentary pause halfway through the examination of the interior of his sleeves, but Iroh kept patting and searching before withdrawing his hands in a helpless gesture as Jee made his next move.

"I'm afraid that it is not there, my nephew. I will have to search a market for a new one. Hopefully, they will a have a Lotus tile in stock." Zuko stared at his uncle, wondering whether he should order him to empty his sleeves. The hesitation had been obvious, but what Zuko strongly suspected to be a lie had betrayed none of the usual signs.

Still, he was sure that Iroh had the offending tile concealed in his sleeves. But the old man was canny, and Zuko could mentally play out exactly what would happen if he commanded his uncle to empty his sleeves. Iroh would look indignant and hurt, that puppy dog expression seating on his face perfectly, while Jee would just stare at the Prince and silently convey his opinion of such disrespect to the elderly general with a stern expression.

Zuko drove an explosive breath out of his nose, and a snort of fire came with it. The Dragon of the West had won this round, and they both knew it. Iroh gave Zuko his best apologetic smile as he moved a tile and won the game, correctly interpreting the irritated huff as a sign that he had carried the day. "I am glad I have such an understanding nephew!"

* * *

Zuko sat at his desk as he listened to the gangplank being manoeuvred into place with a few clanks, the faint noises, shouts of merchants and general activity of the docks penetrating all the way into the relatively isolated sleeping quarters. Zuko had long since abandoned trying to anticipate where Aang would show up next, but he was relatively hopeful about this stop.

Instead of relying on foreknowledge he had done it the old fashioned way: hunting and hoping. But there was always the question of what to actually do when he caught up. Zuko had gained nothing from the encounter with Aang and those pirates the first time, so he could see no reason to do it the same way. The tactical knowledge of the Dragon of the West was helpful for logistics, but not one-man tracking.

This meant Zuko was on his own, which automatically made him look at the wall to where the twin dao swords hung like an open invitation. The Blue Spirit was always there, like an alternate psyche waiting to be unleashed. All it needed was for him to put on a mask...Zuko drew back his fingers from where they had been reaching towards the swords, reminding himself that it was daylight and he didn't want to attract attention.

It seemed he had few options. The key was how much to involve the pirates. They were untrustworthy thieves, not unlike the Blue Spirit. But they killed without hesitation, and were brutal when they wanted to be. Simply put, Zuko found them distasteful. In his search for the Avatar he was prepared to deal with them. Now he just wanted them out of the way as soon as possible.

"Zuko! The sun is high and the market is waiting!" Tensing, the prince didn't dignify the overly cheerful shout with a response. Closing his index and middle finger round the knob of the desk, he carefully pulled it open, the drawer tilting downwards slightly as the back tilted upwards under the weight of the contents. Reaching inside, Zuko pressed at the thin wood and shifted the false bottom to the side, making sure not to damage the items beneath it.

Hidden safely inside were Roku's crown and other valuable objects, among which…Zuko carefully picked up the betrothal necklace by the worn cloth band, laying it across his palm as he stared down on it. This little thing, at least, didn't change. The stylised and flowing waves were deeply ingrained into a flawless blue stone, and refused to fade with time. Smiling faintly, almost affectionately, Zuko brushed the pad of his thumb over the markings.

Carefully slipping it snugly between his black and red greave and the fabric covering his arm, Zuko felt reasonably sure it wouldn't fall out. Running a hand through his now thick hair, the exiled prince idly began to tug it into the ponytail shape he had come accustomed to while back in the Fire Nation. He had to keep up appearances, after all.

The deck was empty, a stark contrast to the bustling crowd in the market place. The stalls were as close as they could be to each other, the competing shouts of the owners rising above the crowds. Grimacing a little in distaste, Zuko spotted the large figure of his uncle and made his way down onto the dock. Crowds were a nightmare for him. In such close quarters you couldn't firebend, you could barely fight…

Of course, that didn't bother Iroh at all. Who would attack an old man for no reason? His nephew, standing out as young and in Fire Nation armour would be a far easier target. Trying not to lose his temper, Zuko moved to follow his uncle before pausing mid step and turning the other way.

He could think of no reason for supervising the rapidly decreasing amounts of money at his disposal other than to fuel irritation, and in the meantime he could search for more practical supplies. Like some candles that didn't make his quarters smell like springtime and distracted his meditation. He had several hours before the pirates had to be confronted. As much as he hated to admit it, their tracking skills had been invaluable.

So Zuko began to wander, and immediately regretted donning his armour instead of a simple robe. Maybe it was just Iroh's charms that had protected him from the dirty looks and whispers, despite how creepy that was, or Zuko may have simply moved into a less hospitable area of the market.

The tension grew, and Zuko was sure he wasn't the only person feeling it. Even in such a dense crowd two or three faces seemed to constantly present themselves to Zuko's alert gaze, walking by or browsing some of the stalls. Either they were avid shoppers or they were following him, and they didn't seem the type for the simple pleasures of life.

Instead they were hard-faced, well built and walked with confidence. They didn't wear any Earth Kingdom colours, simply dull and serviceable clothes, which made Zuko think they were probably just part of a local gang. Not a very good one, though. They were hardly subtle in following him.

For the next thirty minutes Zuko kept half an eye on his followers, who he noted with growing dislike had begun to mass together and increase in number. They weren't being subtle anymore, the group of around ten simply following him down the middle of the street. The way people shied away didn't go unnoticed either. They were afraid of these people.

When a perfectly good deal for a set of meditation candles was turned down by a trembling storekeeper Zuko lost patience. Turning slowly around to face his new friends, he gritted his teeth in irritation. The naked disgust on their faces brought back unpleasant memories of Jet.

"You have been following me ever since I left ship. You have a problem with me, deal with it." One of the gang shifted forward, a giant of a man with thick muscles. He looked like an ox, and about as intelligent. He jabbed a thick finger at the prince like a weapon.

"You're Fire Nation. We don't like your sort round on our turf." Zuko sighed. It was a local gang, without a doubt. All feeling self-important and all powerful, driven by the same hatred which drove all division. He couldn't blame them for it, but he could blame them for their blatant and offensive actions.

"If you thugs have a problem with me, fight me. If you cowards dare, that is. I've fought girls more frightening than you." Zuko smirked at his own joke. Katara and Toph definitely could be frightening when they wanted to be. The gang leader was less than pleased by the comparison, and the crowd quickly thinned out and away from the upcoming fight.

"Shut up! Let's see how funny you find it when they find you bleeding in the gutter!" With that, the leader stepped forward into an earthbending stance, and Zuko slipped back into a guarded firebending stance, ready to strike back at the first attack. The man certainly had the muscles to be an earthbender, but he was no Toph Bei Fong.

Zuko's suspicions were confirmed when the earth rumbled and a decently sized boulder ripped out of the ground before being lobbed towards him with a single punch. It didn't have much speed behind it, which made Zuko think that his opponent was a novice at best.

Simply stepping round the boulder with practised grace, Zuko sent a quick burst of fire out from his index and middle finger, which caught the thug in the shoulder. Yowling in pain, he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder. For a moment Zuko was uncomfortably reminded of what Azula had done to Iroh.

The moment passed when half the gang broke and ran, mostly those at the back. Four at the front launched themselves forward with yells, two brandishing knives, the others just bare fists. Zuko ducked under a slash of one knife and drove a fist into the arm holding it, producing an unnerving crack and scream of pain.

Zuko settled easily into the practiced calm of battle, where he calmly considered strategies as his body fought for him. It was a sort of bliss for any firebender, the moment where all training culminated into a vicious and short fight. It was usually over in seconds, but in those seconds there wasn't thought about what to do. You simply _knew_.

One of the thugs had circled behind him, so Zuko pressed one foot back and came around in a vicious kick, the sole of his boot knocking the knife out of his assailant's hand. Using his momentum, Zuko landed on the foot he had just kicked with and brought around another kick with his other leg, this time breaking the jaw of his attacker.

The last two thugs moved inwards, and so did Zuko, pressing into the comfort zone of the thug on the left and delivering two punches straight to the gut. As the man bent over instinctively, wheezing, Zuko brought his elbow down into the depression at the back of his skull and knocked him out cold.

Turning towards the last opponent in a classic firebending stance, Zuko waited for a moment. The man stumbled slightly as he tried to circle around, and Zuko moved forward abruptly just one step. Seeing the movement and panicking, the thug stumbled against and fell, quickly scrambling up from the ground and fleeing. Zuko watched him go impassively.

Taking one last look at the prone bodies on the ground, he turned and left, leaving the crowd to begin to filter back. Some checked the thugs and others crowded round the fallen leader, though whether to tend to him or get some long awaited justice Zuko didn't know or care. The fight had eliminated all the patience the prince had left: it was time to see the pirates.

The ship itself wasn't too far away, but that area of the docks was practically deserted compared to the market. Zuko stepped into the shadowy confines of the main hold where the wares – all stolen, do doubt – were displayed. The only pirate there was the captain, with that irritating bird…thing perched on his shoulder.

The captain momentarily turned towards Zuko and the prince had the impression for a moment that he had been expecting someone else. His face didn't fall, but it tensed into a more stern expression and he turned away, placing what looked like a chest containing the earnings of the day out of sight.

"If you are here to browse, I haven't the patience. If you are here to buy, buy and get out of my sight." The captain sounded almost dismissive, but there were underlying tones of irritation which raised Zuko's hackles, no matter how much he tried to smooth them over.

"I'm not here to buy, but if I was I hope you would show a little more respect." There was a slam as the captain closed a chest he had just opened with more force than necessary, a thunderous look on his face as he turned around.

"Explain yourself before I throw you over the side with a dagger in your back, _boy_." Zuko actually smirked a little at that. He had got the captains attention and irritated him at the same time. Considering the exiled prince's opinion of the man, he didn't feel particularly guilty.

"I'm looking for two kids. One is a Water Tribe girl and the other is a bald monk. I have information they were seen entering this ship." There was a momentary pause as the captain scrutinised him, apparently taking more notice of the Fire Nation armour. There was a begrudging nod.

"Those two have stolen something very valuable from me. I want it back." Zuko smirked coldly, the right side of his mouth curling upwards.

"I want the kids, you want your property. We both benefit." The captain nodded slowly, beginning to smirk himself.

"Alright, kid. You have a deal. But if you double cross me…" The captain laid a hand on the hilt of his sword threateningly, and Zuko looked at it with disgust.

"Don't threaten me, _captain_. I'm more than capable of sinking your ship." The pirate stepped closer, leaning in until their faces were only inches apart.

"Big words, kid. But I don't think you can back them up." Zuko narrowed his eyes, pressing two fingers to the collarbone of his new ally.

"Try me."

* * *

**Wrong light – Thanks for the support, every little helps.**

**Musiclover9419 – I don't know why everybody is commenting on Zuko being wise, he struck me as just as impulsive as usual, he just had a plan this time!**

**Niana Kuonji – I'm glad to hear my writing isn't bad and I haven't fallen into clichés, and I'm counting on you to call me out when I do!**

**AvocadoLove – The difficult thing about writing this is I'm actually having to think of not only what I want to happen but what could happen. If Zuko freed Katara and Sokka he would have had the two on his back the moment those doors opened. It just didn't go quite the way he hoped – I think he expected normal Aang because there wasn't a threat. He didn't know Zhao was coming. **

**ME – The sad thing is that I didn't actually mean for it to be G-rated! Sheesh, I must be getting soft. I did have a relatively good time writing the previous chapter, so maybe it showed through. It was certainly longer, though how these people churn out 10k words and expect you to read it in one chapter without getting lost is beyond me.**

**Daveshan – I may have spoken too soon. This might not be as long as the last chapter, but it still feels pretty long to me. Maybe just because I dragged it out so long. The pirates look like they will be getting two chapters after all.**

**Logrus Mage – I'm pretty sure that the 'time-travel' fic is a route our imaginations often take us but fail to make it onto paper. 'What if' is a staple of history shows and the like, why not fan fictions? **

**MoonlitInuko – The thing is that I personally felt that Iroh's little note was the highlight of the chapter, and allowed me to end it on a nice not with a bit of humour. I had to rewrite it a few times to get the Iroh quality to it. As for the Blue Spirit…we have to wait and see. I dread it, because I'm not sure I can live up to it over multiple chapters. It might have to be a one-off.**

**Bluetiger – I told you that Zuko was remembering Ba Sing Se, but for the sake of everybody else who was confused I thought I ought to clarify. I guess the link was clear for me who just watched Crossroads and the fireblast Zuko used to interrupt the standoff, but it could have been done better.**

**Twilight G – Here is your chapter, just as you asked. One of the main problems is that I have only really seen season one once, while I have the DVD for season 2. Watching it on a small screen doesn't really do it justice.**

**Lioness – Always thankful for the support, and reading new chapters of Earthquake is always great fun.**

**Remember the Review Revolution pledge: _I, Sayle, do solemnly swear to review all the fics I enjoy, regardless of the number of reviews, its age, or anything else. _It's a good pledge, and it encourages new authors and old authors alike. Enjoy!**


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